


Simpatico

by Uwansumadamboi



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Anxiety, Dissociation, Dubious Morality, Explicit Sexual Content, Eye Trauma, Frottage, Hero Worship, Insecure Rhys, Jack Feels, Jack being Jack, Kissing, Loss of Limbs, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, POV Alternating, Past Torture, Possessive Behavior, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Public Display of Affection, Rhys can be pretty badass when he needs to be, Siren Rhys, Soul Bond, Unethical Experimentation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2018-10-10 20:00:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 45,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10446243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uwansumadamboi/pseuds/Uwansumadamboi
Summary: "I'm stuck on you, cupcake." he gruffly murmured into Rhys' ear. he was passed out in Jack's lap, laying as limp as a kitten. "Even if I wanted to leave you or kill you. I can't, fucking eridians. 'you die, I die.' son of a taint, I just can't catch a break can I?" Jack carded his fingers through Rhys' Auburn locks.Rhys stirred, looking up sleepily at the man. "Jack?" he mumbled, nuzzling into the other mans chest."Sleep, kitten. You'll need it."OrAfter striking a deal with an unnamed Eridian while hanging out in Rhys' brain, Jack ends up being stuck with Rhys for much, much longer than he would have thought possible.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is sort of a huge idea I had brewing in my brain for a while.

He didn't know what the hell this was but it definitely wasn't a dream, Rhys had been extra touchy lately. Kid wasn't even acknowledging him, and to top it off the moment Jack mentioned his nerdy little friend he started bashing his head against a concrete wall until Jack went away.

Usually he would root around in Rhys' mind, looking through memories, maybe concoct some filthy wet dreams for his kiddo to have.

Just for the hell of it for the most part, Jack just liked to watch him squirm.

So now, he was standing in front of some...thing. It was probably an Eridian, he realized. This one was more human-like as far as Eridians went, so maybe not. Whatever it was it was still a monstrosity, but one that didn't induce horror as easily. It stood tall, taller than him, maybe about ten feet. Claws for hands, and a tail that hit the floor with a loud THUMP every so often. The tail end up leaving behind some kind of ooze wherever it made contact.

**Gross.**

**"You are Handsome Jack."** it stated pointedly, so it speaks, he thought. Awesome.

"Uh- Ha yeah sugar. That's-that's me." He replied, he hadn't felt this small since he was a stupid scared little kid, he hadn't felt that in-fuck he hated that feeling.

 **"Rhys is fond of you. You are fond of him too."** Jack bristled at that. so what if he thought Rhys was pretty damn fuckable...For a pathetic little code monkey. That Doesn't mean that he gives a shit, just that he thinks the kids easy on the eyes.

"Well who the fuck isn't?! I mean I am the hero here!" that seemed to kick the creature into full on business mode. **"I am going to get you a body, Handsome Jack. Rhys will help you and you will help him and protect him."**

"What?" The alien spoke in concise statements like a recording, he felt like he was on Eridian hotline for aggravated and confused humans stuck in limbo.

**"If you allow him to die, or try to kill him you will die. Painfully. You will help him."**

"I'm not playing fucking babysitter just because some fucking star trek knock off threatens me." Jack spat back, he was getting real fucking tired of following other peoples demands. He was Handsome fucking Jack, he didn't follow anyone else's lead.

 **"He can get you to a vault, if you gain his trust"** The creature looked livid, like it just lost everything, it made a noise that sounded almost like a sigh, **"...Rhys is a siren. You will do good things for Pandora with him and you will be the hero you always believed you were."**

The idea of getting to a vault and destroying this piss-hole of a planet ended up being the thing that got him to begrudgingly agree.

* * *

"C'mon walk this way for me, kitten." Jack, well his holographic form, whispered in Rhys' ear. "I've got coordinates, a clone facility Nakayama had. Apparently that little freak could do something right." Jack didn't have anything to lose, so he figured that seeing as how the way to a body was essentially empty, Rhys would stay alive and he could get a body. Go back to being a real life bonafide bad ass.  
Rhys had been incredibly obedient toward him since that talk he had with the Eridian while he was stuck in Rhys' headspace.

It definitely made keeping him alive and well easier, he hadn't even questioned where he got the coordinates to get himself a body or even if it was a good idea to leave his... Friends/accomplices/frenemies In the middle of the night. They were almost on the doorstep of the... _Facility_ was a nice way to put it, more like a shack with clones and preserved dead body doubles.

The crazy thing being that the closer he got to a corporeal body the more could feel the inclination to protect Rhys getting stronger.  _so this is what it is_ , he mused, _he gets a protector and I get an obedient siren to do whatever I want with? Not a bad deal, I guess._

He didn't understand the creature's motivation but he doesn't mind taking care of Rhys if he can get him to a vault.  
He doesn't have a problem with Rhys. His bandit friends? **Yes.** His Hyperion so-called best friends who would betray him in a heartbeat? **Definitely.**

"This place is creepy," Rhys said, mainly to himself, "I mean I always admired you but this"the redheaded male gestured around the smallish space, "is some _single white female_ kind of stalker crap." Rhys allowed himself a small smile when he heard Jack chuckling at what he said.

"Yeah, well. You're not wrong, kiddo." Jack replied, feeling a little superior already. "but I'm not in the mood to be picky about where I'm getting my new body, babe." He added, "Just Jack my chip in. Ha! Jack in, you get it, kiddo? yeeeeaaaaah, of course ya do."

"Oh...um, which one?" The compulsion to defer to Jack had been there for a while, he had only started listening to it without too much coaxing in the last 48 hours.

"That one," Jack gestured over to a clone still in its formaldehyde covered cocoon, "looks like the least likely to have fanboy splooge all over it."

* * *

His new body was good, just as good as his old one even. Maybe even better, this new body of his had a virgin liver and lacked his trademark scar. He found an outfit that would at least appear unassuming enough that he wouldn't be attacked on sight. He had almost got lost in the feeling of being alive again when he heard the tiny whimpers Rhys was emitting. He looked so scared and vulnerable, then Jack saw the blood leaking from his port.

"Shit, Shit shit! Rhys, pumpkin, baby... What'd you do?" he moved over to sit with with the other man, manhandling his ex employee on his lap. "You couldn't have just used the chip? It's in your pocket dummy."

Rhys looked at him with prideful indignation. He pouts as if he's getting ready to tell Jack off in that snarky-little-kitten way of his, but his words come out smaller than Rhys probably wants them to. "I did! But I...When you left my..." He broke off into a moan of pain, "H-h-hurts." He mumbled, feeling stabs to his pride for whimpering to a psychopath like Handsome Jack.

Rhys had always had an incredibly high pain tolerance but this was unbearable, and it killed his dignity that he was sitting in Handsome Jack's lap like some child. "Okay kitten, let daddy take care of this, then." Jack snarked, grinning at Jack and wriggling his eyebrows.

Rhys rolled his eyes at the former CEO, even in the midst of all of his incredible pain, Jack just has to make some stupid innuendo. Or call him some kind of petty endearment, possibly accompanied by some kind of cursory glance that resembled a leer. If Rhys didn't know any better, he'd think Jack was flirting with him.

He let his pride go and submitted to Jack as the older man cleaned the blood out of his port, and made sure there wasn't any more, permanent damage. Jack said something to him that sounded disturbingly like, "good boy."

Jack was surprisingly good at being gentle, he soothed the younger man every time he flinched or hissed, he couldn't feel anything other than white hot pain, his port was incredibly sensitive, but usually it was sensitive in a good way instead of this torture.

Rhys could see Jack's hands shaking; like he thought Rhys was something fragile and dangerous and if he messed up he would break the younger man beyond repair. It occurred to Jack that he feasibly could. He could break Rhys, he could ruin him and tear down and destroy every pretty facet of the cybernetic man. "Feeling better, kitten?" Jack smirked, "not gonna piss yourself from the pain now?"

"You helped me." The younger man croaked to him, looking at him with confusion in his eyes.

"Why would you do that? Jack, I don't…" Get it, his brain finished lamely unspoken.

Rhys wasn't stupid, he didn't have any illusions about Jack and his relationship with him. In his eyes Jack was a hero, someone larger than life, bigger than god. He had no reason to waste his time and his breath on Rhys under normal circumstances. He certainly wouldn't be straddled in Jack's lap like some overgrown house cat. If the CEO hadn't been forced into it by being stuck in Rhys' head he would have never even met Jack.

Or maybe ended up dead on his floor, for no particular reason.

Jack chuckled, but it sounded a little off. "Kiddo, me an' you" he gripped Rhys' waist hard, almost punishingly.  
"We're gonna do some great things. We get back to Helios, you're going straight to the top. _Riiiiiight_ under me." Jack wriggled his eyebrows up and down. "You know, as my second-in-command."

But _first_ they had to get off Pandora.


	2. Chapter one- No place like Pandora.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically just Jack and Rhys getting off Pandora, and Rhys coming to terms with Jack knowing about his siren abilities. Fiona, Sasha and Vaughn are there too!
> 
> Also, Jack's a dick for a bit but he feels bad when Rhys is involved so...that's a thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no update! THank you for the support of this fic and i hope ya'll like this chapter
> 
> As always give me notes i love comments more than anything.

Rhys _should_ have realized what would happen when he came back to the caravan with Jack trailing behind him with a smug sense of victory emblazoned on his face but he honestly hadn't expected too much of a problem because he hadn't thought about the consequences even a little bit. The only thing he had made sure of was telling Jack not to just kill his friends because he got bored.

He had very _nicely_ and _sweetly_ asked Jack to stay out of it unless things got ugly and to his surprise the CEO had agreed, “But once this goes south-and believe me sugar it will-don't blame me when those bandits have their brains splattered all across their stupid little caravan.” he warned, almost in boredom.

“I can't believe this Rhys!” Fiona spat, “You resurrected the worst psychopath this side of Elpis and you- just- **Aaaagh**! I can't believe you!” she pushed the lanky middle manager and he fell into an open chest with multiple gadgets inside of it that poked and cut him everywhere tangible, “Actually I can. Hyperion scum.” she spat.

“Maybe we should hear him out?” Vaughn piped up, still a little sore from the guilt of betraying Rhys and he was a little awed and afraid of Handsome Jack. He had never had the sort of wide-eyed adoration of the Hyperion CEO that Rhys and so many of his co-workers had, Vaughn just looked at him and felt nothing other than fear and unease.

Still, he trusted Rhys and knew that he wouldn't just resurrect Jack without a good reason.

 _Probably_. _Maybe_. _Hopefully_.

“Fine,” Fiona assented, Rhys briefly wondered if she might have a soft spot for Vaughn after they had survived that death race together, “You've got five minutes.”

“I figured that-” he starts, pausing ever so intelligently, to collect his thoughts, “He can get us off Pandora! Then- then we won't be stuck on this pl-planet, being chased after Vallory and her goons!” he put his arms out, more exasperated by his own lack of forethought than anything else. “Come on guys I just- please?”

“So you tracked down a way to get Handsome Jack- you know the most hated guy in all the six galaxies, especially Pandora- in a body?”

“Well...yes? But if he's down here it'll be easier to do everything.”

“Such as?”

“Getting off Pandora? You guys could go to Elpis or one of the Eden's even.” Rhys attested sincerely, truthfully he wanted a non-violent solution for his problems but at the same time he wasn't sure if Fiona and Sasha would agree. This was Handsome Jack, most notorious face on Pandora lack of mask notwithstanding and he would have an understanding if they threw the two of them out of their moving caravan. Still, he trusted Jack even if he had no idea how he still did.

“You could get jobs on Helios,” Jack quipped, ever the smart ass. He gave a wicked grin as everyone in the caravan threw heated glares towards him.

“And how are we gonna do that?” Sasha interjected, looking past him warily at the newly resurrected psychopath.

“There's a fast travel station in overlook, bit of a drive but we should get there in about two or three nights.”

“How...dangerous would it be?” Fiona asked, “Like, how likely is it that we would die.”

“There's threshers and bandits but it's the best option we- no, you have.” Jack sneered as full of bravado as ever, “Heroes don't die.”

Smartly, no one decided to mention that Jack was literally a dead man walking.

“You're going to betray us.” Sasha accused.

“And have Mr. Friendship is everything bitch at me? No thanks sugar, I'd rather spend the cash to put you on one of the cushier planets.” Rhys pouted at the jab but ultimately didn't say anything, honestly he was surprised that they listened to him for that long before someone spoke over him and he was forgotten altogether.

The two sisters looked at each other, seemingly having an argument with no words. After what seemed like hours and was probably only minutes, Fiona and Sasha said, with an uneasy tone. “Okay, we'll do that.”

It was lucky considering that they only ended up getting the sisters to agree because of the sheer opportunism that Pandora had beat into them with a symbolic buzz axe comprised of hunger, fatigue and misery. Still, Rhys supposed that things had gone well, which generally meant that there wasn't too much more time until something awful happened to the lot of them.

* * *

Once they set a path on Rhys' echo for Overlook, sailing- or driving really, was a little rocky but the group was counting their blessings. The caravan still worked, Jack was being amiable enough- apparently he was always pretty good to his team- and the one time someone had tried to hold them up, it had been three admittedly weak marauders. All in all, smoother sailing than you would expect for Pandora.

“There's a motel there guys!” Vaughn pointed out, hoping it wasn't some kind of mirage from the sleep deprivation.

“Really? Like everyone gets their own bed?” Rhys perked up, excited at the prospect of not having to bend himself in half every time he slept or even- if everything worked right- a shower!

“Probably!” Vaughn said looking at the area, “Happy pig motel…?”

“Happy pig motel?” Jack broke out into racuous laughter, “Ho-ly shit! That's the place with all those-” he quickly shut his mouth, realizing that _'this is the hotel that had all those satanic sacrifices a couple of years ago_ ' wouldn't be funny or easing to anyone in the room and he wasn't enough of an asshole that he would sacrifice his teams morale for a cheap laugh. Employees? Sure. Just not his team. “You know what it's probably fine.”

“As long as it has beds and water I don't care if they did eyes-wide-shut orgies there.” Fiona stated, You know what that's pretty close, Jack sniggered. “It looks deserted. Vaughn pull up! we'll actually get some sleep for and recharge.”

* * *

  
The motel was small, but had five rooms with beds, well six but Jack had peered into the room and told them not to go in there, making sure with closing the door and wrenching off the handle. Technically, they each could have had their own room but Jack made a comment about wanting to have some alone time with his new favorite employee.  
Rhys had flustered and bumbled, ultimately going along with what Jack wanted because arguing with him was like trying to convince brick to change to wood.

Once they were alone, the only topic Rhys could think of involved masks. Because, of course he would be alone with his idol and only be able to put his foot in his mouth, “Um, Jack?” he tried, speaking softer than he ever did. Partially hoping that Jack wouldn't hear him and he could turn over for the night.

“Sup, Princess?”

“You wear that mask that that um- the one that one of those bandits wore and-”

“You wanna know why I wear it when we leave this lovely little rust bucket?” Jack guessed, although flustered Rhys was cute- and he'd deny that and kill you if you told anyone- he really hoped the kid got used to him being there in the flesh.

“Yeah.”

“I'm a little under dressed, kiddo.” Jack explained easily, “The only weapon I found on those morons was that pistol. It was Hyperion which- you gotta admit cupcake that's fucking poetic as shit,” Jack let out an audible groan, “and I don't have my watch, you'd think Nakataka would have just robbed my...” he trailed off as if he was physically unable to say the word ' **Grave** ' and let silence hang in the air.

“You mean Nakayama?” Rhys tried, looking at Jack with an indiscernible expression. Something soft that the older man decided not to comment on.

“Yeah, whatever.” Jack grumbled, “We got hot water here sweetness, go wash up.” the statement seemed sweet until Jack added, “You stink.” causing the amber haired male to scowl even as he did just as Jack told him to.

After what was objectively the most relaxing, the most amazing and most refreshing shower he had ever had; Rhys stepped out of the washroom a towel on his waist and pretty much nothing else, he looked around the room for them and let out a yelp when Jack wrenched his unclothed organic arm, “So how long have you been pretending not to be a siren, cupcake?”

“What? No, I'm not a siren...” Rhys protested, “They're just...tattoos that I got in high school.” He knew what the fate of Sirens were, you either lived your life out as a battery, died while strapped down to an operating table with an overzealous scientist performing the most morally reprehensible and dehumanizing things that you could do to a person or...run away to one of the border planets and become a Vault Hunter.

Rhys had no wish to do any of the above and he was pretty sure that he was the first male siren in recorded history.  
So, I'll be experimented on then. He thought grimly, his thoughts obvious by the look on his face.

“Anyone ever tell you that you're a shitty liar, Rhysie?” It was almost said in a growl, “C'mon pumpkin, tell me the truth.” Jack could probably kill him if he wanted to, Rhys realized as he acknowledged their position. Jack with one arm holding painfully tight on his forearm, not letting go, he vaguely wondered if he was going to leave bruises there that he would have to awkwardly explain away.

He gulped, weighing the pros and cons of Jack strangling him to death verse being used for his powers until he died. He meant to say something, lie maybe, even if Jack didn't believe him he had to try, but all that came out of his mouth was, “Well- I...uh...”

“The truth Rhys.” Jack ordered, clearly getting impatient. Rolling his eyes he added, “I'm not gonna fuck you over, Rhysie.” he said it so firmly, so believably that Rhys was inclined to do what Jack wished of him. What options did he even have anyways? He could trust Jack, definitely. The man had not steered him wrong in the past.

“I...I'm not sure. It's- I've always been able to- do things?” he furrowed his brows, “Things that other people around me couldn't I guess?”

“Hm, how well can you control your powers then?”

“I just don't use them.” Rhys said with an easy shrug, “If I just don't get too emotional then I won't...kill anyone.” the words that Rhys spoke gave Jack an idea, a horrible idea but still one that might work...even if it had horrible consequences.

“Tell me how you lost your arm.” All he needed to do was piss Rhys off, really piss him off then maybe he could get an idea of the kids powers. 

“I don't want to.”

“Tell me.” Jack tightened his grip on Rhys, almost positive that he would hurt him. Not permanently, but enough to spook him. "Just tell me what happened and I'll let you go."

“I-i-i-in a c-c-c-car accident.” he stuttered out, pain and memories flooding him, overstimulating him. If Jack kept this up he was going to have a meltdown and then he wouldn't have such control over his powers.

“Were you driving?”

“Jack, please stop.” Rhys croaked and let out a sob, clearly becoming visibly upset.

A fog of guilt hit Jack when he heard the sobs bubbling from Rhys throat but he kept it up, deciding to make it up to his siren later. “Ah, come on sweetheart-” and for some reason the plying tone that usually would calm him down set something unknown off in Rhys.

 _ **“I said no!”**_ He snapped, sure that if he was any angrier he would be foaming at the mouth and gnashing his teeth. Vaguely he realized that there's not much time for him to stop himself before his arm starts to flicker, going from their usual blue to a stark blinding white. Jack noticed momentarily that a few of them were actual ink, probably added on to deter people from questioning Rhys about his markings.

He broke away from Jack ready to strike, and despite how angry he was at the man, Rhys knew that he wasn't going to hurt Jack. They wouldn't be able to get off Pandora without Jack's bio-signature, which out of respect was still active just the same way that out of respect no one had touched the CEO position yet.  
If Rhys was being true to himself, he still had affection for Jack, even if all of his ugly parts were loud and proud; on display for him in a way that he hadn't been privy to before. In a way, knowing Jack so clearly only made his stupid crush more prevalent.  
Rhys turned around, the orb in his hand still pulsing and slammed it down on an old rusty counter, dissolving the entire thing.

Jack is mainly surprised, but partially grateful that Rhys didn't just kill him while he had the power over him to do so and truthfully, Jack hadn't meant to make him cry. He had just meant to test his powers and see a little of what he could do.

Annoyingly enough, he had started to realize in the weeks of having a body with the lanky male, that he didn't like hurting Rhys or causing him emotional pain. A pain in the ass if you asked him, having to think about his actions and if they might end up hurting Rhys.  
He doesn't stop Rhys as he grabs his clothes and storms out, not at all aware of that he so easily played into the other man's hand.

 

* * *

 

Rhys had been looking for Vaughn but instead happened upon Sasha, he didn't exactly know what possessed him to sit with her in the horrible state that he was in but no one had ever accused him of good decision making skills.

“Hey” She said, “I'm making sandwiches. Do ya want one?”

“Mm-hmm, thank you.” he croaked, mentally shutting down with a hope she wouldn't notice that he had bawled his eyes out. He wouldn't put mocking him still past her, he didn't know her that well.

Sasha gave him an incredulous look, Rhys was being uncharacteristically quiet. He wasn't as talkative as jack- but that was an unfair comparison because if being annoying was a sport Jack would go to the Olympics and get gold- but he definitely rambled a fair bit and it had become normal for Rhys to babble on about this or that. “What's up with you?”

“Nothin' 'm fine.” Rhys replied softly, and Sasha looked at him for a full minute before sighing, she wasn't good at that whole...nurturing thing. “Mm-kay. Rakk eggs?”

“They're eggs so yeah.”

“How about skag?”

“I guess.”

“Alright!” She said before getting to work, with cooking, unwittingly leaving Rhys to brood and mope until he was a puddle of depression and self loathing. When she sat down with two plates for them, she actually got to look at Rhys' face. The first thing she really noticed was how blotchy it was, and how red the rims of his eyes were. He had obviously been crying but she wasn't cruel enough to call him out on it. “What?” Rhys snapped self consciously when he noticed she was looking at him.

“I...Oh my god you're hairs all fluffy.” she lied as easily as she could, “I totally thought you had moppy hair.”

“It should be moppy, it just DOESN'T LISTEN TO ME.” he yelled the last part seemingly at his hair specifically.

“It's all frizzy!”

“Ugh, I know it's the worst.”

“I know this is gonna sound weird but can I touch it? No one Pandora has nice hair.”

Rhys scoffed, “Sure.” he said shortly. “Don't get used to it, as soon as I get to Helios it's back to being straightened and gelled.”

“Were you crying?” She asked as she pulled back with a look on her face that gave Rhys pause.

He thought for a moment on what he should do and ended up trying to play it off, “Ha, yeah...” he said, nervous motions making their way into his body language. “Jack said some stuff, it just got to me and I...” He sniffled softly, internally cringing at weak he sounded.

“He made you cry?” Sasha raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah.”

“That's...weird.”

“It's Jack.” He said, the same as he would say the weather.

“Right. But he hasn't been like that to you,” She pointed out, “ He barely tolerates us. I kinda thought he wouldn't be mean to you.”

“I don't think he meant to,” Rhys said, and that was true enough. If Jack really meant to hurt him he doubted the man would have let him leave. “But why wouldn't you? He asked, as an afterthought and it took all of Sasha's energy not to roll her eyes and smack him upside the head for being so ditzy.

“Uh, Rhys don't take this the wrong way but...”

“But what?” he asked, “Jack's not gonna kill us I promise! I mean he's a prick who made me cry but he's not suicidal.” Technically that was true, Jack had no shield, a crappy gun, and he was missing all his tech. Add all that in with him being out of practice and he was practically helpless.

“I know, I know!” She held her hands up in mock surrender, “That's not what I was gonna say.”

“Oh.”

“Actually I'm pretty sure Jack has a thing for you.”

“Oh,” he said, followed by a more alarmed, “Oh!”

“Yeah...”

“No, I don't think so…” Rhys giggled nervously, cradling his arms self consciously, “I mean- why would he- no.”

“Why else would he choose you to be his second in command?” Sasha asked rhetorically and Rhys internally bristled, as if the only thing he would be good for with Handsome Jack was sex! He's one of the most powerful beings in the universe, thank you very much.  
He wanted to say all these things but knew how suicidal it would be, he likes Sasha, he really does but he knows how desperate she and Fiona are to get off Pandora. Why else would they trust in Handsome Jack?

So, instead Rhys just sighed and said, “I think he just likes that I'm loyal.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Sasha agreed, “Still doesn't explain why he grabs your ass so much.”

* * *

Rhys ended up avoiding Jack as much as he could after that, mainly just to be spiteful until the older man would man up and apologize. The way things were looking, he would either end up giving up or texting Jack all of the information that he needed; sub-routing the silent treatment without breaking it.

“Wow, he's pissed at you.” Vaughn commented, on the third day. He was pretty much a grizzled veteran when it came to Rhys' idiosyncrasies and generally when he wasn't just chewing you out that meant a fuck up on the level of Hiroshima.

“Yeah, what would you know muscles?” Jack snapped, “You don't know shit.” he's not one to be ignored, it's almost impossible but as Jack hasn't so much as looked atRhys since that day. He honestly had no idea what to do, Rhys won't let Jack sweet-talk him he can't really kill him for being aggravating- that would just mean suicide even if he wanted Rhys dead- the kids got him in a box.

“I know Rhys.” He said simply, “We've been friends since either of us can remember.”

“Yeah, if you're so friggin smart how do I get Rhys to talk to me?”

“Have you apologized?” Vaughn tried, getting his answer when Jack just became silent. “Right, of course you didn't apologize. Rhys is easy, just...say you're sorry and mean it- and if it's really bad compliment him and offer to get him ice cream, it's his kryptonite.” He didn't feel bad about giving Jack all of the answers for Rhys, he just wanted the two of them to stop brooding so much.  
He couldn't stand to see his best friend looking and walking like a zombie. He hadn't done that since his accident and that hadn't been a good time for any of them.

As Jack left, going over to Rhys- presumptively to apologize his ass off, Vaughn made a mental note to give Rhys shit about what a giant child his idol was.

* * *

After a lot of time and effort they finally got to Overlook. Apparently the entire town had been quarantined with a case of the skull shivers- he was pretty sure they were dead, Jack only sent them enough medicine to keep them alive. It was definitely easier to control the citizens of Pandora when they were shaking and seizing instead of rallying with guns.

Not one of his best moments, but the citizens here had it better than a lot of settlements.

They stepped through the mainly dead town and into the back of it, “This should take us right up to Helios, I just need to-” Jack paused, noticing what was on the screen. “fucking vault hunters.”

“Wait, what happened now?” Rhys asked, looking at the screen and noticing the lock out. “Oh...”

“It'll be fine kitten,” Jack assured, “We just need a little bit of time,” he murmured before calling out to the others, “You guys all have weapons, right?”

Sasha had her SMG, Fiona had Rubi, Rhys had his stun baton, and… “Vaughn, do you have anything?” Rhys asked, not wanting to leave his- well, probably his only real friend at the moment.

“Don't worry about 'im kiddo, he could probably go hand to hand with a few psychos.”

“And everything was going so well...” Vaughn murmured sarcastically.

“Jack...”

“Right, fucking hell I gotta pistol- if everything works out you can keep it.”

“How nice.” Sasha sneered, not hiding any displeasure for Jack's personality in the least, “So we cover you and probably die in the process and you and Rhys get on Helios without doing any work.”

“Can you hack Hyperion tech princess? Can you hack at all?” Jack snapped, “Didn't think so. I didn't have any obligation to keep you Pandoran bitches alive and I'm trusting you to cover me!”

“Rhys stay with me.”

“I can handle myself!”

“I could use you to help me.” he tried, figuring that coaxing the cybernetic male would keep him safe, he had no idea what Rhys could do in a life or death situation on his own.

Rhys pouted, “I know what you're doing Jack.” he said, even though he knew he was probably acting like a stubborn princess. “You're like- the best hacker in the universe probably,” Jack made a mental note not to give into the flattery, “And I'm pretty fucking great with this.” he held up the stun baton.

“But you need to-” _oops, almost spilled the secret._ He was sure Rhys had no idea what Jack wanted with him, maybe he thought that Jack wanted a battery.

“What?”

“Nevermind, just- don't be stupid.” he assented, focusing everything on working past the cracked sub-systems, it was almost caveman like firewalls. Considering that this was his tech, he figured he could get in in five minutes...tops.

They had about thirty seconds of relative peace before a pyre thresher came out of the ground, the group of four standing slack jaw in awe and fear. “We're fucked.”

“No,” Vaughn said, noticing the bandits, “Now we're fucked.”

And they were, the four of them were terribly under armed, and didn't work well as a team but if anything they had an overwhelming well of luck that was- hopefully- not tapped out yet.

“Jack how are you doing?!” Rhys screamed, over the sound of psycho's yelling about their mothers. He dipped and dodged four buzz axes, hitting a psycho in the groin- it went down with a wail reminiscent of a little girl- allowing him to lead them over to Fiona, “Hey can you shoot these assholes?”

“Hold on kitten!”

“Yes!” She snapped back, “Jesus, don't get you're panties in bunch.” she added under her breath after hitting them with fire and shock bullets.

“Oh fuck-oh fuck-oh fuck” Rhys whimpered, skipping over the dead body before bounding face first into a marauder. He was stuck on his knees, focusing on dodging the bandits shots until he had an opening and crushed his- or hers, he could rarely tell- ribcage.

Vaughn on the other hand was sandwiched between two nomads, “Rhys! A little help?”

“Yeah, sorry!” He quipped, before backing over to Vaughn, unfortunately he was a little to late and had to bear witness to his best friend being hurled over into a stone wall, “Fuck! Sorry dude.”  
Vaughn flew for a few seconds before he crashed into the wall to Jack's side, “You about done?” he snarled, before getting up and dusting himself off.

“I just need one more minute, just keep us alive for… fucking really? Ninety seconds!'

God, he really didn't want to do that. He doubted Rhys would be okay with that either, even if he was good with his stun baton, threshers were tough!  
In one fell swoop, the thresher had him in it's tentacles. He groaned, sure that he would be dead in the next minute until he realized that he was level with it's eye.  
Rhys didn't think twice before jamming his stun baton directly in the creatures eye socket, closing his eyes and hoping for the best.

When the creature went down, either stunned or dead, Rhys looked as if it wasn't something he could believe actually happened to him. A dreamy far off look clouded his eyes, “Rhys! Holy shit that was awesome!” Sasha was kind of amazed, she honestly believed that the two Hyperion lackeys were dead weight but they really proved their mettle.

“Thanks… I'm gonna go sit down.” he said, as he moved towards Jack and curled into himself, struggling to stay awake.

“I- okay, I think they're all dead.” Fiona panted, her fringe sticking to her forehead and her hands shook with exhaustion. “We better get the frick off this planet.”

After a few moments of silence, no more bandits and threshers angling to attack them, Rhys was the one to break the silence. “Jack? Is...is everything good?”

“Baby we're more than good, we're fucking golden.” He laughed at his stupid little joke, “Okay come on, all you assholes hold on. Forewarning, you're going to feel like all of your intestines are squeezing together and mashing into your rain at the same time- not good.”

It didn't take them more than a second to understand the exact implication of what Jack meant.  
  



	3. From A Position Of Power.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys and Jack get resituated on Helios, Fiona and Sasha are...there and Gortys is in the wind!
> 
> This is a segue chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This doesn't even follow canon whoops.  
> lets say this takes place in a universe where after gortys was awakened vallory and co. got away with her.

Jack hadn't been exaggerating when he used the phrase, “Squeezing all of your organs and mashing them into your brain at the same time.” that had probably been the most blatantly honest way to describe fast travel to someone who had never had the privilege.

The five of them, after getting their bearings, fighting back dry heaves and promising to each other that they would never fast travel again if they could help it- and if the opportunity to do it again came up to try to find- Any. Other. Way. Around it.

In the moments that everyone had seen Handsome Jack materialize with two Pandorans and two low-rung employees the entire space station went haywire. People looking around in panic and awe, a few executives planning welcome-back parties, interns in line to gush and praise the man.  
Rhys sighed, if Jack had a cult following before- that he may or may not have been an avid attendant of- the Hyperion CEO was now practically a god resurrected from the ashes.

The worst part about it, though?

He knew that if he wasn't the main reason that Jack was back in the flesh- well, second to Nakayama and his insane recreation of the CEOs brain- he would be in the front of that line of gushing fans.

Instead, he had become disillusioned- slightly, he still thought Jack was amazing he just wasn't some kind of living god. He was just a really smart, really crazy guy who was coincidentally very handsome. He was excited to work with Jack, if a little demoralized by how many times his co-workers had run him over to get to the newly resurrected CEO.

“ **CUPCAKE**!” Jack called, his booming voice giving the amber haired siren a shock. Rhys decided not to answer, cupcake could have been anyone. “Ugh, for the love of...RHYSIE.”

“Ah! Y-y-yes Jack?”

“C'mere.” Jack said, a little softer but still with that authoritative cadence. Rhys did as he was told, following on Jacks' coattails as he made his way back into his old office.

The office was much more humble looking than one would expect, and he looked around the spacey area with interest. “You like the place, kitten?” Jack asked, “Shiny enough for ya?”

“I need a desk.” Rhys replied numbly, “Somewhere I can work.”

“Nah, it's no problem sweetness.” Jack snarked back glibly, “you can just sit on my lap.”

“I am not gonna do that-” Rhys snapped and Jack cut him off with a motion of his hand.

“Alright kitten, step back and daddy take care of this.” Jack crooned in a saccharine sweet tone, if only to get that look of mortification and spluttered replies from his siren counterpart.  
Rhys did obey because despite his protestations, he almost always trusted Jacks' word. The kid practically bared his throat to him, which was definitely something Jack liked about him.

“Attention morons and idiots,” he snarked over the intercom, “Yes it is true. No you're not dreaming, or having a nightmare depending on how stupid you are- I am back! And we are going to get this shit show back on the road, I don't need you kiddos getting any stupid ideas about being the new CEO or running after fake ass Vault keys-” He gave Rhys a very pointed look, “I'd also like to let you know about the new chain of command. From here on out you will not only be answering to me- but also Rhys, my VP. Rhys doesn't have to answer to any of you Jack holes, just me.” He grinned, “Me- yes- you – no.” he added slowly, as if he was talking to someone soft in the head. “Get back to work sheeple!”

* * *

While the other four where getting themselves situated on Helios, Jack was intent on ushering Rhys into his office to discuss...everything. Partially the incredible fuck up of letting Vallory and August get away with the Gortys bot after she “woke up” while they were stuck in that facility, one of his biggest mistakes which was saying something considering just how many mistakes he had made today.

 _At least_ Vasquez died afterward, that was pretty great.

“So what did you want to talk to me about here, Jack.” Rhys stuttered, “while we're alone and there's no...witnesses.”

“Right. Now judging by the everything about you,” Jack gestured to Rhys' frame, “I'm gonna take a shot in the dark here and assume you've never done any training. So! Other than whipping this company back in shape, we're gonna get to doing that.”

“Train me? Like- like my...my.,.you know?” Rhys looked panicked, he had perfect control on using his powers in the sense of stopping himself from vaporizing someone in his sleep, but he could never control the intensity. “Right...so I don't kill anyone- that I wasn't trying to kill.”

Jack chuckled, “We're gonna have to make sure that you're capable before we go back to vault hunting and vault opening, we can trick some vault hunters to do it for us until then kitten.” Jack assured, “We'd need a siren though, so- ya know that's gonna take a little bit o' hair pulling.”

“Your or theirs?” Rhys asked with a half smile tugging at his lips.

“Probably both.” Jack answered honestly before mumbling to himself, “Can't be Lilith, maybe the other one with the blue hair.”

“Hm?”

“You good with a gun, sweetheart?” Jack replied with successful evasiveness.

“uh- no.” Rhys said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world- it was- and looked at Jack in question. “I didn't really grow up in a...gun home.” or a home in general, he thought but shook the thought from his mind.

“Figures.” Jack said with a scoff, “You're a real project, huh pumpkin.” he uttered the last part under his breath.

“What'd you say?”

“Don't worry about it kiddo.” Jack said, “We'll work on all of that after I get everything back to normal.” he added, as if that ended the entire conversation. Rhys didn't argue with him that time, deciding that he had at least a week until Jack started obsessing over Vaults. Something he would savor, if he was being honest with himself.

* * *

  
Working directly under Jack was definitely easier than he had expected, everyone knew how finicky the CEO was and he had been more worried that he would die at Jacks' hands for saying something stupid- a given for him, he always put his foot in his mouth- or making a clerical error….or breathing wrong; all possibilities when you're Handsome Jack's vice president/ personal assistant / secretary / Jack sitter / kind of sort of kind of friend.

Needless to say, even if he didn't feel like he might die every nine seconds, Rhys was still exhausted especially on days like this, where he walked in right after Jack stopped screaming at someone.

“Ew,” Rhys groaned, walking in to their office, careful not to step in the puddle of blood and...other bodily fluids coming from the dead mans body. “What did he do wrong?”

“Wasted my time.” Jack stated, his irritation lifting at the sight of his counterpart. “Asshole lied to the board so he could get a meeting with me.”

“Really.” Rhys clicked his tongue in faux sympathy, “Just out of curiosity, what did he lie about?”

“ **Gortys**.” Jack stated bluntly, “He told the board that he knew where to find her.”

Rhys laughed, “God. What an _asshole_.”

“Yeah, that's what I said before I shot him.” Jack agreed, grinning at Rhys.

* * *

Rhys sighed, looking around his new apartment one that Jack had gifted-no, more like forced him to move in to- him. He supposed being on top had more upsides than he would have ever guessed, starting with the ridiculously soft bed- probably had a higher thread count than a cloud in heaven, metaphorically speaking. His new place was nice, if a little empty, eventually Rhys tired of the silence and emptiness pooling in the pit of his stomach and opted to text Vaughn until he answered him.

 **> Hey~**  
** >dude**  
** >bro, talk to me I miss you.**

He frowned, hoping that he didn't come off as too needy, even though logically he knew that Vaughn would not care at all if Rhys quadrupole texted him.

**< Wat do u want**

 

 **> I just miss you???**  
** > and working for Jack is haaaaard.**

That was a partial lie, considering that Jack was definitely easier on him than his previous secretary Meg; he had seen that poor girl come into lunch with tears in her eyes and patches of her hair on her shoulder.

**< its handsome jack what did u expect?**

**> WOW!**  
** >mean. You and Jack should be bffs.**

 **< idk if that woud be cool with you.**  
** < p sure I can only be friedns with u**

 **> YEAH AND ALSO NO im not.. in love with Jack you jerk bag**  
** > also, stop it with the typos.**  
** > It makes my brain itch.**

**< shut up!  >:( nevr been an english person.**

**> I can tell lol**  
** > how do u like running finances??**

Vaughn didn't respond for a few minutes, so Rhys got a little concerned and started typing.

**> is it...bad?**

**< ITS AWESOME.**  
** < Ive never been in pwer before!**

**> lmao youre like the king of nerds!**

**< FEAR ME AND PAY HOMAGE**

**> I'm happy for you broest of bros.**

**< you too man!  
< I mean ur working for handsoem jack! Isn't that like a wet dream for you??**

**> no  
>...yes**

**< plus jack is all….nice to you**

He rolled his eyes, typing out some sympathetic response about how nice Jack could be if he liked you and 'you shouldn't judge a book by its cover bro' but thought better of it and erased the entire thing. Instead he opted for a safe response.

**> is it really that weird??**

**< definitely**

Rhys giggled at that, deciding to end it before he stayed up all night messaging Vaughn like they did in school.

**> ok I should sleep dude gn**

After he sent the message Rhys was so tired that he didn't even put his echo up to charge before he passed out.

* * *

  
He woke up in a picture perfect home, with picture perfect people living there. He walked down the picture perfect dreamy stairs and stepped into the picturesque living area, looking at the family that lived there. “his” family, he thought, except they weren't.

_These people aren't real, he reminded himself, they are just a projection of all your lies._

_His “Mother” smiled at him, laying out a platter of food and drinks for him while his “Father” chatted inanely about something or another._

_Don't get sucked in._

_his picture perfect family changed, morphing in to a pair of scientists with cold hands that strapped him down. “This shouldn't hurt a bit,” one of them said, a man with male pattern baldness that smelled like cough syrup._

_The woman to his right shook her head almost gravely, “Well, it might. Depends on how cooperative he's feeling.” she stated, wrenching his scrawny arms back as she strapped him down onto the dingy hospital cot. “This probably will hurt you.” she sneered at the petulant look on Rhys' face._

_Rhys screamed and fought, thrashing around desperately. The woman scientist looked almost pleased at his reaction, “Daniel, get the collar please.”_

Rhys woke from his nightmare to Jack vigorously shaking him, calling his name in what could be seen as a panicked tone, if it were anyone other than Handsome Jack he wouldn't have doubted that the other man was concerned for a moment. But this was Handsome Jack, and he was only being taken care of like this because he was useful to the CEO. Nothing more, nothing less.

Jack moved closer to him and Rhys almost immediately started thrashing, panic setting in with the inability to breath intact, “THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED- IT DIDN'T HAPPEN LIKE THAT- no stop lying stop lying you fuckers let me go!” he screamed, “I don't- I don't want to be here anymore, I'm so sorry I didn't mean it-” he was cut off by broad arms around him, holding him tight enough that he couldn't move his arm anymore.

Words came at him like a calming force as Jack pet and cooed at him- _“Hey, easy easy kiddo. Breathe in- out, yeah. Just like that, pumpkin. Good boy.”_  
It didn't take much petting and murmured nonsense until Rhys fell limp in Jacks arms- still wrapped tightly around him like a straitjacket. “I'm sorry.” Rhys murmured softly, after several minutes of dead silence that were far more comfortable than maybe they should have been.

“For what?” Jack bit back, “It's not like you could control it.”

“Why do you keep doing these things?”

“What do you mean?”

“You woke me up.”, he didn't understand. Jack kept doing things that could be misconstrued as nice… if only to him. “And you're cuddling me...”

“That a problem, kiddo?” Jack teased, “Cause you were fucking _purring_ a minute ago.”

“No!” He protested quickly, then softened his tenor. “No. it's just that...why are you being so nice to me?”

Rhys wouldn't press the subject so much if it wasn't such an individualized treatment. He had witnessed the CEO strangle an intern for getting his coffee order wrong- and that was just this morning.  
Jack wasn't like that with him- for the most part, the man still gave him hell every chance he got and made fun of him with all of the vigor and finesse of an eighth grader, at times like this though; he almost bordered on nice and Rhys had been pretty sure that Jack didn't even know how to spell the word kindness.

Jack sighed, his own internal dialogue brewing as the truth was more along the lines of, _I had the worst feeling in the world about you. I could tell you were in trouble and I thought you might have been seriously hurt and I don't know why I don't just snap one of those control collars on you and lock you up somewhere safe- but I just can't bring my self to do it. Not again._

“I had a bad feeling.” Was all Jack could muster, being the natural born liar that he was. “It weirded me out and I decided to check on you, I did the same thing with-” He stopped himself, he hadn't even mentioned Angel in his mind. He could barely remember her without an outburst of violent rage or massive depression.

“Your daughter?” Rhys tried, his voice soft and easy- almost placating in nature. Nevertheless, Jack still stiffened, “Sorry- Sorrysorrysorry, I didn't mean to!” he apologized profusely, “Jack...lemme go please. You're hurting me.”

“Fuck- sorry.” the older man groaned, easing up his hold on Rhys. He decided not to mention that, if it were anyone else, they would be dead for mentioning his daughter.

“You can leave...if you want?” Rhys said, after about ten minutes of comfortable silence.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“Not particularly, no.”

“Then, I'mma park my happy ass right here.” Jack assured, with a maybe-more-then friendly pat to Rhys' flank. Rhys - thankfully - didn't acknowledge it and scooted impossibly closer to the older man, falling into the most peaceful sleep he had had in years.

* * *

Rhys woke up the next morning alone. He sighed and threw his head back in relief, hoping that everything that happened last night was some kind of weird high school crush fever-slash-wet dream. There was absolutely no way that Handsome Jack had the patience to talk him through a panic attack and snuggled with him overnight.

_**Nope. Nuh-uh, that did not fucking happen.** _

Rhys sighed as he stretched all of his limbs out, cracking his neck with a little pop! before getting up to grab a cup of coffee- something he needed to have every morning or he would cry and become one incredibly nonfunctional vice president- and some toast before he got up and ready.

He stepped into the kitchen, only to be surprised by Jack standing in the kitchen with- praise the gods, Eridians and ancient beings!- an entire array of food spread out for him. It smelled so good, he would never have expected that Handsome Jack would be a good cook.

“You made me breakfast? Aw...” Rhys joked, “And I didn't even have to sleep with you.” and then he pulled a face, “I mean, I guess I did sleep with you but we didn't sleep together...not like that I mean-”

“I get it, kiddo.” _Christ he's cute_ , Jack thought as Rhys rambled away. “You think that you're pretty little ass is too good to let Handsome Jack fuck you.” Riling Rhys up was probably his new favorite thing to do.

“What?” Rhys squawked, his face flushing in embarrassment, “No- that's not what I – not that it wouldn't be good or-” suddenly the amber haired males eyes narrowed in suspicion, “You're mean.”

“What?” He quipped back at Rhys, stifling laughs. “What's the problem, kitten?”

“Never mind.” Rhys said, a little miffed at all this early morning teasing. “'m too tired for all this.” he pouted before taking a handful of handful of bacon and stuffing it in his mouth.

“That's so gross,” Jack groaned, causing Rhys to start open mouth chewing the food antagonistically, sticking his tongue out afterward for good measure. “Ugh! Were you raised in a barn?”

Rhys smiled at that, “Sorry that I flipped out like that.”

“That was some scary shit pumpkin.” Jack had a look on his face he had never seen on the CEO. No sneer, no crocodile like-grin, no maniacal look in his eyes. Jack looked...concerned?

If Jack wanted to ask exactly what it was about, he didn't. Good call, Rhys thought because he had no idea how to explain everything.

“Oh..was it?” Rhys pulled a face of discomfort, “Sorry. I didn't hurt you or anything right?”

“Baby you couldn't hurt me if you tried.” Jack snarked, taking a hold of Rhys' wrist and keeping his hand there with a predatory grin, “What do you weigh? A hundred pounds? One twenty, maybe?”

“Well I do have that whole...siren thing.” he said, with a pout. “I could really hurt you...if I could control it.”

“Speaking of that, what exactly can you do?” Jack looked at Rhys with interest, he knew as much as one could about sirens, he had spent most of his life-after what had happened with Angel- learning about everything that they could do, how to control them and how rare they were. Rhys however, was new uncharted territory an any time the younger males powers came up his eyes lit up like it was mercenary day morning with avid fascination. “I never would'a guessed if I saw you walking down the halls how powerful you are.”

“You know other than phase-striking and flying… I guess I never let go enough to use them.” Rhys lied easily with a smile on his face. Judging by the look that Jack gave him, the older man didn't believe him in the least but, thankfully, decided to let it go...for now.

“Well,” Jack started, forcing an easy cadence to his voice. “When I get a siren here to help you train we'll just figure it out.”

“Hmm, yeah.” Rhys hummed noncommittally, “You know what's weird?” he cocked his head to the side, desperate to change the subject. “I...kind of miss Pandora.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Jack agreed, “if you're stuck on your toes, you don't any time to think about terrible shit that happened to you.” There wasn't time for Rhys to reply because Jacks' echo rang the moment he opened his mouth, Jack silently thanked whoever called for interrupting this moment of….eugh, **feelings**. “Meg! Baby, sweetheart give me good news!”

“Oh, well….Handsome Jack...sir- your uh, your Handsomeness-” She spoke over the speaker, “It's just that...”

“Spit it out, babe.”

“Well, I have a few uhh- questions about the prisoners?”

“Yeah, I got a lot of prisoners. Which ones are these? The traitors that tried to run off to Sanctuary?”

“No.”

“is it Sammy?” Jack tried, “That bitch scientist and her wife?”

“Um, no.”

“Mm, is it the journalist that tried to go undercover and-” He put on a mocking cadence, “Reveal all of Hyperions shady dealings.”

“It's the two Pandorans that came back with you and...Vice President Rhys.” Meg eventually said, tiring of the games.

“The- _Two Pandorans_?!” Rhys shrieked back, interrupting the two. “Fiona and Sasha helped up and you imprisoned them?!”

“Well, you told me to put them somewhere safe.” Jack argued, “A guarded prison cell is pretty fucking safe and I was never given specifics so if you think about it this is a little bit your fault.”

“Smooth.” Rhys snapped, unimpressed with Jacks' need to be right in any situation. “I'm gonna go and free them.” He quickly and quietly ran out of his own apartment without another word to Jack, barely putting his shoes on before he left.

The minute Rhys left Jack slumped in his chair, “Fuck...” he muttered, “Kid makes me feel like such an asshole.”

* * *

He practically ran down to the holding cells that Sasha and Fiona were locked in. he took a breath of relief when he realized that they were practically unharmed, “Oh you guys are safe and...” He trailed off, looking for the phrasing, “Not tortured looking.”

“Yeah, no thanks to you.” Fiona spat.

“Rhys you goddamn traitor!” Sasha shouted from inside of the cell, “We were supposed to get off of this corporate tin can!”

“I know and I'm reeeeaaaally sorry.” He pleaded, “I'm gonna fix this you have to believe me.”

“Yeah well you-” Fiona started, realizing what Rhys had just said. “Did- did you just apologize?”

“Yeah?” He replied, incredulity in his voice. “I wasn't lying to you when I said I'd get you out of there.”

“We were stuck in this cell for three days!”

“I had no idea you were even stuck there. I thought you were already on a shuttle- or in Elpis by now.” he pleaded honestly, before calling the guard on duty over. “Believe me if I was bullshitting I would have taken the time to get ready.” Fiona and Sasha shrugged, as if to say, okay fair point.

“Yes?” The guard was mousy in all descriptions, “Do-did, no- do you need anything Mr. vice president Rhys...sir?”

“Uh, one; just call me Rhys what you said is a mouthful to be honest-” Rhys stopped for a moment and took a breath, “but anyways I need you to let these ladies out of their cells, like yesterday.” he added an overtly polite smile to top it off.

“But, Sir- I mean, Rhys with all do respect...” the guard trailed off into balks and stammered mumbling, causing the three to roll their eyes as they waited for him to find the courage to finish his sentence.

“Sometime this year.” Fiona snapped and Rhys nodded in agreement.

“Handsome Jack put them in here!” he blurted out, eyes turning shifty as if the CEO was going to appear around the corner and eat him. Rhys' eye twitched at that and he moved forward as the guard backed away from him, the motion continued until Rhys had him backed into a corner. “I can't- it's han-Handsome Jack we are talking about here! He'll...he'll...”

“Well...” Rhys took a look at the mans' name tag, “Ralph. I'm the vice president and these are my guests, guests that are responsible for bringing Handsome Jack back from the grave. So!” he smiled, frustration building. “Let these nice girls out or we're gonna have a problem.” it was less the thinly veiled threats and more the way his tattoos flickered.

“Yeah, okay that's-” Ralph babbled as he opened Fiona and Sashas' cells. He looked at Rhys in horror, “I… am so so very sorry sir that I doubted your-”

“Yeah, yeah whatever.” Rhys snapped, but there was a genuine smile there. “Do me a favor and take the rest of the day off.” and Ralph was bolting out of the area before Rhys could change his mind.

“Woah.” Fiona stated intelligently, “You got all... _glowy_.”

“Yeah, It's good that I stopped it.” Rhys said with a shrug, “Sorry. I usually have better control over it.”

“Wait a second...so you're a...” Sasha stuttered out and Rhys nodded encouragingly.

“Yes…?”

“So. You're a….siren.” Fiona blurted out, “a...male siren?”

“Yeah, I'm a male siren.” he admitted, “keep in mind that you're still in a cell so keep any ideas of trying to capture me or sell me to yourselves and then never do them because that...” he clicked his tongue, “Will end terribly for you.”

“Who else knows that you- canmeltbrainswithyourbrains?” Sasha seemed giddy, having no idea that she had been in personal contact with someone that powerful.

Rhys looked at her oddly as he said, “Jack knows. He's trying to help me control them so I'll be able to use my powers instead of being all laid up and useless.”

Then her expression hardened, “How come you didn't use your powers to- I don’t know- save our asses?! You could have helped!”

“I could have hurt you guys- no, I could have...” Rhys swallowed audibly, as if saying it was physically hurting him. “I could have killed you guys- they are...hard to control, my powers.”

“Yeah but didn't you like...vaporize that cabinet when Jack got all in your face?” Sasha interrupted.

“That wasn't- that was just a punch.” Rhys replied, “To my knowledge all sirens have things they can do that are the same, like singing or having wings!”

“Yeah, phase striking. Totally! It's…useful?” Fiona said, a confused expression on her face. “Sorry this is- this is weird.”

“Yeah,” Sasha agreed, “We had a dynamic. We're awesome and capable and you and Vaughn are dead weight!”

“Hey!” He scolded back, “You can insult me all you want but Vaughn really improved on Pandora-” he leaned in slightly closer, “He's ripped now. I'm not sure how to deal with it.”

“Oh...you are so weird.” Fiona snapped, “Who raised you?”

“I'm not sure.” He admitted, a little sad behind the eyes.

“Wait what?”

“Hmm?” Rhys spoke back, already turning away from the two sisters. “We should probably go, I'll set you up in my old apartment. Jack forced me into an executive one so...mines open.”

“We don't want to-” but the two of them were cut off by the echo device on Rhys' cybernetic hand.

“I know it's a dick move but I have to take this,” Rhys interrupted apologetically, “Sorry, uno momento.”

“Princess, I get that you want to pay these grifters back for helping us but do you really need to let them know your biggest goddamn secret?” Jack snapped over the echo,“What are we gonna do next? Hire bandits?”

“That reminds me, I'm going to have to put you on the employee roster if I give you a place to stay. Thanks Jack.” That was true enough, the only people allowed on Helios were employees or spouses of employees.

“Oh we are not working for Hyperion!”

“Yeah, you're not!” Jack agreed, “I'm not having some Pandoran bandit scum working for me.”

“You know what?” Fiona snapped back in a self-satisfied way, “I think I really would like that job.” She turned to Sasha, “What about you, sis? I think we should part of the big, happy Hyperion family.”

“Yes, that's exactly what we should do!” Sasha agreed, hamming up the performance purposefully, “I want nothing more than to help our dear friend Rhys.”

“Aww!” Rhys spoke back, “I know you're just agreeing to piss off Jack but it's still nice!”

The two sisters gave each other the side eye because truthfully they were worried about Rhys and his stupid naivety, with his sense of judgment- or lack thereof, if they weren't there they figured that the universe was doomed.

With them, it was...slightly less doomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack: i don't want no pandorans on my goddamn space station  
> Sasha and Fiona: actually fuck you we will work here.  
> Rhys: yay....we CAN all just be friends~!  
> everyone else: what the fuck rhys.


	4. Friendly Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Notes; This chapter is really fucking long oops. I wanted to add smut but it was getting to lengthy so I'll put it in chapter five.  
> Warning for references of eye trauma,  
> Also it's my birthday so here's a hobbit gift to all of you~

In a safe house near Opportunity, five Vault hunters, a siren, a slab and a recently recovered Rakkaholic took turns trying to get information out of a newly recovered Hyperion spy hiding amongst them.

To his credit, throughout the entirety of the Crimson Raiders' interrogation of him- about ninety six nonstop hours of torture- he hadn't broken down and said a word about Hyperions' new motivations and idealizations with Vault hunters.

“C'mon man,” Gaige practically implored, “Just confess! Tell us all the frikkin' trade secrets or Brick'll come back and smack the bitch outta ya!”

“Fuck off bandit!” the captive shouted much to the Mechromancers' annoyance.

“Well, this has been fun.” She deadpanned, “BRICK, I GIVE UP! HE AIN'T TALKIN'”

To her surprise, the insanely large man hadn't come out but instead it was Lilith strutting forward to take Gaiges' place in questioning their hostage and for all his bravado, the spy immediately retreated in his shell the moment Lilith appeared with a look of murder on her face. “He still won't talk?” She asked, then turned back towards the spy, “Alright, let's get this over with then.”

“Wait, w-w-w-w-wait! You don't have to kill me!” He begged as Lilith came forward with a handful of cosmic energy bubbling in the palm of her hand.

“Go on.” She smirked glibly as she spoke.

“Handsome Jack is back from the grave, you all know that.” The spy uttered out, “but do you know how?” Lilith was about to continue her assault when he started his monologue up again, “He has a Siren! A willing Siren.”

“Really.” She pulled back, her interest piqued at the thought of a Siren she hadn't known about before.

“He...He's insanely powerful as far as anyone on Helios can tell.” The spy seemed almost neurotically giddy then, “He's working with Jack as his Vice president.”

“Wait, he?” Maya arched a brow, “I...are you sure?”

“So, what exactly did you see?” Lilith questioned, seemingly in agreement with the rest of the groups general confusion on the matter.  
Leaning down as she looked down upon the strapped down Hyperion spy. “It couldn't have been a male siren because those are impossible.”

“Well, it's not impossible.” Maya argued, looking evenly at Lilith. “Male sirens have existed before, dormant ones at least. I've seen them.”

“How would you know that?” Axton piped up, from his uncharacteristic quietude. “Is there some kind of freaky siren data base all us normal folk don't know about?”

“I just know.” Maya remarked back, “I always can tell.” it wasn't as if she was the most powerful siren, her lack of want for Eridium left her powers paling in comparison to Liliths or even Angels' before her death but she had always had the strangest intuition about Sirens whether they presented yet or not and that had been helpful to her more often than not. “He could be telling the truth. He could also be lying through his teeth, so there's that.”

The terrified spy seemed completely vindicated and kept going, if only to save his own life over his loyalty to Hyperion, “I could go back up there, get you more information and-”

“Cool, we'll be sure to look into it.” Lilith remarked as she blasted the spy into a million pieces, before he could even finish his pitch, with a phase blast. She looked over at the almost disappointed looks coming from the rest of the group, “What?!” she snapped in aggravation.

“He was offering to spy for us.” Mordecai griped, “To see exactly what the hell this Hyperion siren has going for him.” The hunter felt a serious need for some Rakk ale at this new loss. “Goddammit, Lil.”

“...Oh.” She breathed before shrugging as if to say, 'Well, better luck next time'

Needless to say, the Crimson Raiders weren't really doing their best under the command of the Fire-hawk and with Handsome Jack back with a siren at his side...there wasn't a lot of camaraderie and trust going around.  
**  
Back on Helios, Rhys had been going through his own struggles- mainly with the incompetence of the majority of Hyperions' employees.  
It had only been a few months of working directly under Handsome Jack and he was truly understanding why the man went straight for an idiot employees' throat during a massive- or not so massive, maybe just a bit of an inconvenience on an exceptionally awful day- fuck up.

But it wasn't his only problem, no, his other problem had to do with one resurrected Hyperion CEO because Jack was a lot of things; erratic, loud, so honest that it was a social problem, incredibly intelligent, handsome, charming and so freaking cool…

And that's where his problem began and ended; his stupid hero worship, “Handsome Jack can do no wrong in my eyes” type of thinking crush was getting worse instead of better the more he hung around Jack.  
It wasn't like they hadn't gotten friendly with each other- they had, but it felt like the more close he got with Jack, the more danger of just blurting out every feeling- every stupid, immature and blissfully ignorant of reality to the point of delusion idealization that he had in his head.

So, not good.

Rhys really didn't want his stupid gay crush getting in the way of whatever tiny percentile of professionalism that he still might have, so much so that he'd been putting forth conscious effort not to just bow out and simper obediently at every simple command that the older man put forth but at the point he was at it was more of a compulsion than anything else.

Ironically enough, he was broken out of his thoughts by nothing other than Jack flippantly snapping out an order at him, “Rhysie,” The older man barked, “Get your head outta your ass for one second and bring me that folder on my desk.”

Rhys blushes and quickly obeys, doing everything in his power to trudge over and retrieve the offending article. Looking down, he hands Jack the thick manila folder- because of course he's paranoid enough to keep mostly everything on paper – but not before glancing at the title labeled, 'Project Opportunity – expansions and alterations.'

“Wait, are you planning on going about re-civilizing Pandora again?” Rhys questioned, shuffling his feet nervously, “Do you think Pandora even has the chance to be civilized?” he added, remembering with almost objective horror his months on Pandora; no sleep, no food and too many disgusting creatures parading the landscape of the planet like they owned the fucking place.

“It's not about what I think, sweet cheeks.” Jack condescends, “It's about what I know.” The statement is fairly cryptic sounding for someone as blunt as Handsome Jack.

All the same, Rhys tries- and fails, judging by the way that Jacks' demeanor turned snide- to not roll his eyes at the ensuing pet name. “Okay, then what do you know?” he feels almost exasperated at not knowing what the older man was hinting at. “About um, the whole opportunity thing.” he added with a bit more of a skittish tone.

Jack looked over at Rhys, inspected him like he was searching for some tell that Rhys was actually some kind of elaborate spy – a completely paranoid act as he knew most of the things that had gone on in his vices' pretty head. “Why don't you take a look in there, kitten?” he practically ordered the younger man, looking at him expectantly then.

He does, letting the curiosity get the best out of him whether or not Jack was just testing his loyalty and opening the file might just end up getting him killed and sure enough it's an incredibly well thought out plan to re-initiate Jacks' idea of civilizing Pandora. He wondered if Jack was still pursuing the idea of civilizing Pandora out of pure spite.

“I still don't get it.” Rhys admitted blankly, blinking a couple times in psuedo-confusion. “Why would you still want to?”

“Hm?” Jack feigned ignorance, “How do you mean, darlin?”

“Pandoras' terrible.” Rhys deadpanned, “It's like one pile of garbage after the other and the only thing decent about it that I could see about it were some of the people living there.” he sighed, “I mean wouldn't it just have been easier to get those good people off of Pandora and leave the rest of the criminals to rot there?”

He snorted, “You would think, right?” Jack responded rhetorically, “but the thing is, once you leave those Skag licking sumbitches to themselves they start getting ideas and delusions of fucking grandeur.” Jack wasn't an idiot and he wasn't even full enough of himself and his own idealizations about the border planet. “I have to civilize the entire planet or these psychopaths'll just use it as a home base to be fucking terrible.” his almost feral anger receded and he joked, “Greater fucking good hero type shit.”

“I suppose you're right.” He said and then mumbled, “Pandoras' still terrible.”

“Yeah,” Jack grinned in agreement, “Speaking of, I'm planning a trip down to Pandora to check on the re-construction of Opportunity and I want you there,” Rhys beamed at him momentarily, “Buuuuut I don't trust you not to shoot yourself in the foot the minute I put a gun in your hands so I'm planning on taking you down to learn how to shoot.”

Rhys pouted back, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly but still he allowed himself to be dragged away to Helios' gun testing range, it became completely clear to him then that his crush was completely incurable and if Jack kept touching him the way he did it would quickly become terminal.  
**  
The gun range wasn't generally in common use on Helios – most of the employees didn't even have clearance to own a gun on the space station just in case anyone would have been stupid enough to get ideas of assassination or corporate takeovers in their stupid little heads.

Rhys frowned as Jack walked him forward, standing him in front of a shooting target dummy. He didn't like guns; never had enjoyed the feel of the weapon in his hands, nor the jump of the recoil, guns had always left an awful taste in his mouth. Still, if he was going to be on Pandora he couldn't go without some form of protection for himself and he couldn't just expect Jack to be able to protect him as well as himself if something terrible went down on Pandora or even Helios.

Jack handed him a small and very simplistically designed pistol, “You've never shot a gun before, so this should be perfect for you.”

Rhys ignored the insult and took the offending weapon in hand and instead of making some sort of rude comment – Apparently, after years of blurting out whatever was in his head the experience of having a dead psychopath taught him when he should just keep his mouth shut -he said, “Thanks for helping me with this.”

“Don't mention it.” The older man dismissed easily.

Rhys pulled a face, ready to protest. “But I-” he tried, but was cut off once more by the older man.

“No, Really. Don't mention it.”

Rhys hummed something non-committal in response, he was more used to dealing with emotional constipation in friends and partners so the response wasn't a complete surprise.

He picked up the gun again and aimed down the sights but at the sight of Rhys' piss poor stance Jack sighed laboriously, standing behind Rhys and wrapping one arm around the slighter mans' waist and kicking his legs apart, his other hand ghosting over Rhys' trigger hand.

“Of course I have to teach you everything.” Jack grumbled, “Stand up straight, keep your legs shoulder width apart.” he murmured into Rhys' ear, “And don't let me catch you trying to use your echo to aim for you.” Jack added with a growl. “You never know when that's gonna malfunction and you'll be stuck staring at the barrel of some scum sucking bandits revolver.”

Rhys took to obeying each and every instruction the older man gave, trusting Jack implicitly and without any sort of precedent.

“Okay, now pull.”

Rhys' hands trembled a little and he wondered for a minute why guns still had enough power over him that he could barely have one in his hands without shaking with anxiety. Nevertheless, he swallowed down his own fear and pulled the trigger.

The shot, surprisingly enough hit its' target straight and true, Rhys sighed out in relief and a happy smile graced his lips.

“Good shot,” Jack praised and Rhys beamed up at him, feeling truly good and confident. The older man stepped away from him, “You're a goddamn natural.”

He was about to ask Rhys to shoot again the gun in Rhys' hands began humming and buzzing before jumping backwards in his hands. In his own surprise Rhys accidentally squeezed down again and shot the gun again. The bullet managed to ricochet off of the metal siding that held the targets up and shot straight into Rhys' stomach.

Though in hindsight, he really should have expected that his luck would be awful enough that even if he managed to shoot well enough he'd somehow still get himself shot because of a gun malfunction.

Jack on the other hand, was almost surprised for a minute when Rhys crashed backwards and crumpled on the floor before he quickly jumped back into action, “Hang on tight for me, Rhysie.” He barked as he rooted around for an Anshin vial.

Rhys nodded in agreement, knowing or at least hoping that he could probably brush off the pain for at least a few minutes. Plus side to being a siren, he supposed.

“Oh, of course the minute someone actually needs a med-kit they're all out,” Jack snapped in aggravation, “Oh, this keeps getting better and fucking better!” he took a calming breath to collect himself and added, “Okay, I'll just get a medic to patch you up and… I'll be right back, I just need you to stay awake until I get back.”

Rhys was damning himself for having to literally bite his tongue so he didn't ask Jack to not leave him so instead he uttered, “I'll be...I'll be okay.” and he tried to dismiss any sort of worry that the older man may or may not have- even if that worry was just him making sure that his possession wasn't too badly damaged.

“Keep your eyes open unless you want to plan on never waking up.” Jack ordered again, more callously that time before rushing off to call a team of medics.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow. Okay, not okay.” Rhys admitted out loud once the older man was out of ear shot. The white hot pain in his stomach was getting worse by the minute.  
“This fucking hurts.” he whined out softly, compressing the wound down with his robotic hand with the hope that it would keep him from bleeding out too much before he got some form of medical attention.

He frowned and furrowed his brow with worry for himself, Jack still wasn't back, he could have just forgotten about him or something equally terrible.  
In the midst of his anxiety his brain starting creating unrealistic ideas, like maybe this was just his way of letting Rhys know that he wasn't going to work out as vice president of Hyperion.  
After several minutes of pain and suffering the auburn haired man began to feel dizzier and dizzier, his vision faded and he fell forward with his nose touching the ground. With Jack no where in sight to him, the siren was completely sure that he was going to die in the most embarrassingly pathetic way possible.

* * *

True to his word, Jack hadn't wasted time in getting a crew of medics down to attend to Rhys' wounds. He'd been a little bit put off when the doctor attending to his wounds had quickly sussed him out of the surgical bay while she and three others worked at getting the bullet out of him. Jack knew that Rhys would probably be okay, one good thing about being shot in the gut was that the likelihood of him bleeding out while Jack went to get him some help was damn near impossible.

Once he was allowed in, with a staunch warning that Rhys had been heavily drugged and sedated so if he was awake he should not have been surprised if the siren was a little loopy and a lot more touch-starved than he would be.

Jack came in the room, sure to be quiet enough not to disturb the younger man and risked a look down upon Rhys, the siren had very clearly been sedated and he looked about as small and lost as a child as he faced Jack. He wasn't looking at the CEO so much as through him, barely awake and definitely not even remotely lucid.

“Jack?” Rhys questioned through his drug haze, not even sure if the person standing in front of him even was Jack and not a doppelganger or just some med student with a somewhat similar height and build.

“In the flesh, kitten.” Jack replied smugly, pulling a chair up next to the auburn haired siren who seemed to keen in delight at his presence. “You look banged up to hell.” he added with a tone that had something akin to concern for Rhys' well being.

Without even thinking of the possible consequences, Rhys reached forward and placed his hand over Jacks' and looked at him, “You took down Atlas, right?”

Jack grinned at the contact, it was telling to him that Rhys definitely wasn't in his right mind at that moment because although Rhys trusted him he was always wary of initiating contact with the other man. He didn't really care either way, “Somethin' like that,” He murmured and then amended with, “Yeah, I took Atlas down. Got the deed to the fucking place collecting dust in my office.”

“Atlas doctors took me.” Rhys hummed secretively, his hand never strayed from Jack and although the older man did nothing to reciprocate the affection, it still gave him comfort.

“Wait, what?” His amusement was over taken by righteous anger that had him wanting to resurrect Atlas' president so he could go and kill him all over again.

“They took me.” Rhys whispered like it was a well coveted secret, “Theeeey kiillled my parents and took me to thi-this room.” then he shook his head, “But not this one but it...” he trailed off, “Hopsital.”

Jack smirked at the way Rhys slurred and misspoke his words, but made sure to listen to what the siren was actually saying. “You don't like hospitals?” he asked without any expectation that Rhys would reply.

Rhys shook his head, “The doctors were mean.” Rhys stated venomously, “Cruel.” he corrected, “They, they took m' eye cause I tried t' run 'way.” he blinked a couple times, “M'arm too. I tried t'run 'gin s'they cut it off me.”

“Not a car accident?”

“I say that's how I los' it cause it makes people less sad.” they wouldn't give him some cloying and pitiful look when he talked about it, or at least not as serious as the one he'd get if he told them the entire truth. “I don' like how they look at me.”

Jack didn't have an idea to what he could have said to that but he knew exactly what Rhys was hinting at in his drug hazed state, he especially knew how awful it was to be pitied by someone and he never allowed himself to put it on anyone else. “You're not getting any pity from me, kitten.” he assured easily, knowing it would be the truth.

“You saved m'life.” Rhys continued on, “When the Atlas president got...killed – the employees they all ran away like….rats?” he cocked his head at Jack, “They scurry, right?” He shrugged, “Jacks' my hero.” Rhys added softly, sounding like he forgot that he was speaking to Jack in person. “I could be dead if they hadn't abandoned the facility.”

Jack smirked at that, manipulating Nakayama into killing off Atlas' CEO had been purely pragmatic – Atlas was cornering the market in fire arms and they had control of Pandora at the time – but he wasn't completely surprised that at least a few lives were saved in the process of taking down the rival corporation.

Atlas had been just as dirty as Hyperion on a good day.

“But don't tell Jack,” he said, putting his finger to his own lips in a shushing motion. The younger man seemingly forgot that he was talking to Handsome Jack. “It'll make 'im even more full a' himself.”

“You're slurring more, kitten.” Jack noted.

“I know...the drugs.” He admitted, “They make me feel so...good…” He giggled, “really, really, really good.” he paused to bury his face into his forearm, “too good…”

“I can tell.”

“Bu' I think it makes me more supseptipal...no..” he frowned, “That's not….suseptical? Suspectable? Sistepable?” He trailed off and looked at Jack helplessly, like the older man had all the answers to the universe and Jack would be a liar if he said the way Rhys looked at him then didn't stroke his ego something awful.

“You mean susceptible, baby?” Jack tried with an amused chuckle.

“Yeah!” he chirped, giving Jack the dopiest grin. “More...that word...to...” he frowned again, “I'm sorry. I forgot what I w's gonna say.” he pouted, “Never mind, I'm kinda tired.”

 Rhys' eyes fluttered shut again and he slept, Jack easing the younger mans' hand off of his as gently as he could

* * *

_The room felt sterile, and he sat cross legged on the dingy hospital cot with his brain being made fuzzy by all the narcotics and Eridium he was being dosed with every single day. He had regained enough of his freedom that he was allowed to leave the hospital cot._

_He wasn't entirely sure why he was there, he really shouldn't have gone into town – his mum told him that people thought his tattoos were bad and he needed to stay out of sight because bad people might take him away from his home and hurt him but he had never believed her. He always thought it was just her being over protective of him, that she may have been a little neurotic._

_He had never known that his entire existence was a crime, he hadn't a clue that the moment someone saw his tattoos flickering absentmindedly on his slight form that the local citizens would become suspicious and start making calls to the different weapon corps – they all liked to open up sirens and see what made them tick._

_None of that matters anymore, he supposed. His entire family was dead and he was strapped in this room with nothing to occupy him but the maddening tick of a clock he can't see and a girl laying in a cot across from him that never spoke to him, no matter how much he asked._

_The girl- she was barely functioning but she wasn't brain dead so much as delusional – she opened a vault and something about it broke her and he felt for the other siren even if she- Asha, he reminded himself._  
_Her name is Asha and even though she probably had no idea about her exploitation, she was just as much of a victim to these monsters as he was._

_Ironically enough, she was the one to snap Rhys out of his thoughts, “You're new here.”_

_“I've been here for a little while.” he replied, grateful for the reprieve from the never ending silence that was put upon him._

_“Not as long as I have.” She replied and he nodded in agreement._

_“I'm sorry. You're usually less...” he frowned, “...Talkative.”_

_“The tantrum you had that lost you your arm took me out of my bubble.” She snapped in annoyance, looking at him haughtily. “I've been trying to recede back for quite a while.”_

_Rhys knew what she meant – the death of his family and his following capture had left him enraged to the point where he couldn't have possibly calmed himself down._  
_He ended up killing three soldiers and four scientists before they managed to sedate him and he had woken up without his left arm._

_“Oh.” he hummed apologetically, “What are your abilities?”_

_“The creatures.” She said, as he looked at her in further confusion. “they listen to me.”_

_He frowned in confusion, Asha was rarely ever this lucid and he still struggled to make heads or tales of what she was saying._

_“But I can't talk to them anymore...they don't listen to me.” she uttered out, “You have to get out of here.”_

_“What about you?” he asked her, his own curiosity getting the best of him. “Don't you want to leave?”_

_She shook her head, completely blank eyes looking past him – not at him, she never really looked at him- “I can't.” she answered with, “I don't know up from down most days. But you…you can get away.”_

_“How would I go about that?” the collar shut tight round the both of their necks made escape damn near impossible and if Rhys hadn't been able to get away with the full range of his powers how in the hell was he supposed to do it with that monstrous device sapping the energy out of him._

_“When the opportunity comes up you'll know.” She uttered out cryptically and it was the last thing she said to him no matter how much he begged her to speak._

_Once the opportunity to leave came, he noticed it right away._

_His collar had begun malfunction days later and when someone came to tend to them, the technician that came in was completely unfamiliar. She was skittish with shaky hands as she took off the collar for just a moment, he supposed that he'd earned enough brownie points with the devils that experimented on him._

_The minute that the collar came off of him, he felt the full range of his powers return to him. He felt the power surging inside of him and he grinned almost mad with power as he reared back and hit her, her body seizing up and falling to the ground in agony. He frowned, he hadn't put enough effort into the phase-strike to cause her real damage but with the amount of Eridium he had been continuously dosed with..._

_“You little..” she groaned out in pain as she crawled forward and inched for the alarm button._

_The room felt almost like a box and even though he had his powers_

_“Tell me how to get out of here!” He shouted at her and she shook her head dumbly._

_“I...I don't know.” she sobbed out, “Just don't hurt me please.”_

_He seethed in aggravation, digging his hand in the corrosive wound he'd made in her shoulder. “I don't like hurting people.” he snapped out at her venomously, “but I'm desperate enough as it is.”_

_If he got out of there, he would be sure to give himself time to feel guilty for what he did. If he got out of there, that is and his not so well thought out plan seemed more and more like a recipe for his own death by the minute._

_“I don't know-” he cut her off and dug his thumb in further, “Ah! You little monster, there's a code for the door panel 8-5-2-6 that's all I know.”_

_he dropped her quickly without a single word and practically bounced to the door and punched in the code._

_Rhys was surprised that he even got out of the door, even if groups of security teams had been there to ambush him and he put up a good fight, even though every person in the room knew exactly where he was going to end up._

_He bit and scratched and shot out with his powers as much he could but he was out numbered and it was only a matter of time before they caught him and took some part of him away._

_He had truly not expected to be tazed and kicked when he fell to the ground, maybe he should have though._  
_Because then he could have been able to prepare for his inevitable capture, instead of having arms restraining him from every end and he was manhandled and forced down onto an operation table with more sedatives than he had ever been on in his life pumping through his nervous system._  
_He felt blank and unresistant as they strapped his ankles, knees, waist, arm, neck and finally his head to the operation gurney._

_“Well, subject S-2.” the woman stated smugly and with an arch of her perfectly manicured brow, she reminded him of someone who worked in sales. “Another escape attempt?”_

_The lead scientist who had been watching over him had no name as far as he saw, no one ever called her anything other than 'ma'am' and the two of them weren't on first name basis._

_“We told you last time that any sort of escape attempt would result in something else being cut off,” She informed diplomatically ,“I think you're eye will do this time.”_

_He didn't speak, even though he was itching to lash out at her again._

_“Once you learn to behave,” he flinched as she spoke, “We could have you fitted for cybernetics.” the woman turned and mumbled, “Though at the rate your at, we'll probably be able to just remotely control all of your limbs.”_

_He frowned at her, complete distaste in his eyes as they injected some sort of paralytic into him._

_Losing his arm hadn't been this bad, this time he could feel every single sting, rip or tear to his flesh and nerves but he couldn't even flinch away or say a word._  
_He felt more helpless than he ever had before but after a while he was able to tune the pain out at least consciously, pretending to be somewhere where he wasn't being abused and mutilated._

_And when the “operation” was done, they had slotted a glass eye in his socket so it didn't close over. He felt a pain in his brain and a fuzziness. It was almost as if they had rooted around in his gray matter and moved it where it shouldn't have been._

_He lay on his cot, un-motivated to do much else but stare at the opposing wall._

_He felt...wrong, like he was simultaneously there in the room and watching himself be debased and degraded day after day._  
_This time when they leave, they keep the door ever so slightly open- just to degrade him but he felt the weight of acceptance crash over him. He might never escape this room and if he did, he wouldn't have been the same person._

_If Rhys was being honest with himself, he truly doubted he would come out of this cell as a person at all._

* * *

When Rhys woke up again, painfully sober but not quite aware enough to fight the imagined attackers from his dream as he might have any other time. He frowned and wishes that they hadn't deactivated his eye while he was being operated upon, he really couldn't see well without the cybernetic implant and the lack of it makes him feel so...powerless.

He hoped that the doctor who had been his attending would call a technician in to get it back on. She was a reasonable sort of woman and she rarely ever made him feel like he was stupid for not coming to get himself checked up more often.

A knock on the door sprung him from his thoughts as she came in, her name tag with the name “Dr. Jennings sitting pretty on her chest and her usually well maintained hair sitting askew with some sort of frazzled stress.

Rhys guessed that Jack had threatened her on what might happen if his vice president was permanently damaged.

“Oh good, you're awake.” Dr. Jennings said officiously, “Well. I'll tell you this, if it hit you two centimeters to the left would have hit and artery and two centimeters to the right would have hit your appendix.” She smiled, “Consider yourself a very lucky man.”

Rhys nodded, although he wasn't sure that lucky was the correct word, “When can I leave?”

“Well… I don't feel like it would be ethical of me to allow you leave unless you have someone to look after you.”

He frowned in irritation, waiting upon someone to come and get him could take minutes or it could take hours.

Thankfully though, that didn't last too long because the circus troupe of people that he cared about entered the hospital room; Vaughn, Yvette, Sasha, Fiona and Jack crowded around him. There was so many of them in the space was probably some kind of fire hazard – but what were they going to do? Tell Handsome Jack he couldn't visit? Not likely.

“Cool, one of them can take me and I can go?”

“Well, yes.” She stated carefully, “and I can't really make you do this but…” she turned to the group, “I would highly suggest that you keep him on bed rest for a while.”

“How longs' a while?” Jack inquired, not wanting to have his siren damaged but simultaneously hoping that his recovery time wouldn't be too long.

“About two weeks.” She stated evenly to Handsome Jack, never straying eye contact in a way that had the CEO almost impressed.

He scoffed loudly, and loudly protested, “I am not taking two weeks off!” he snapped out with as he looked at the doctor evenly. “And besides, everyone is too busy to babysit me.”

He knew Yvette wouldn't – she wasn't the care taking type in any case.

Vaughn – well, he didn't want to have to bother Vaughn. His best friend had already done so much for him.

Sasha and Fiona were just getting situated on Helios and though they were his friends, they weren't close enough for him to ask them of that.

And he truly doubted that Jack had the sort of patience to watch after a needy, bed-ridden siren who didn't want to be in bed in the first place.

“I'll take him.” Jack volunteered, to Rhys' and everyone else's surprise.

Rhys spluttered incredulously, “But-”

“Well, I guess that settles it.”

“But I don't want-” he tried again, only to be cut off once more- honestly, the way they ignored him got to be so frustrating.

“Kitten, I don't give a crap about what want.” Jack snapped cruelly, sighed out and tried to correct the statement at least a little when Rhys flinched back from him. “I just don't want you getting some infection and keeling over.”

“I think Jacks' right.” Vaughn said and Rhys sunk further into the hospital bed, feeling completely betrayed by his best bro, “I mean you got shot, dude.”

“I got myself shot.” He argued, “and there's a bunch of stuff I have to go through, Hyperions internal systems basically have to be gutted- that's records and requisitions...security.” he ran a worried hand through his hair and spat, “Fucking everything.”

“Rhys, it's two weeks and Jacks' taking care of pretty much everything.” Sasha scolded, “infections like that aren't a joke.” she added, “I knew this guy on Pandora who was unlucky enough that he had to go to Dr. Zeds clinic, he ended up with a staff infection cause the guy never washes his freaking hands.”

“Yeah, no I'm on Sashas' side with this.” Fiona agreed, “And don't get us wrong, we absolutely hate the guy. I mean he's greedy-”

“Callous.” Sasha interrupted her with.

“Yeah, erratic.”

“Irrationally angry,”

“Cruel.”

“Oh, don't forget impatient.”

“Manipulative too.”

“And to top it off a mass murderer.” Fiona ended it with, “But he's pretty competent when it comes to looking after you.”

Rhys refused to look over at the Hyperion CEO, knowing the seething look that beset the older mans' face. He was uncharacteristically quiet, Rhys noted and with Jack that wasn't a good thing.

“But I also have to-” this time he was cut of by practically every person in the room giving him withering and disappointed looks, “I'm not a child, you know.” he argued even though it was pretty clear to Rhys that either way he had no choice in the matter, if Jack had to he would probably throw him over his shoulder and drag him kicking and screaming for his own good and it was made out to be even worse because he knew that his friends just wanted to be sure that he was okay.

Good intentions or no, it still didn't change the face that two weeks on his own without being able to get any sort of work done may as well have been a lifetime prison sentence.


	5. Envy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, long time no post riiiiiiiiiigghtttt? 
> 
> Anyhoo here's the update and hopefully you guys like it~!

Rhys couldn't help but wonder why the hell Jack had volunteered to watch over him but he quickly shrugged off his wondering at the realization that no matter how well he got to know Jack, he would likely never understand the inner workings of his mind.

Jack was a genius and you know what they say about geniuses, right? They're all fucking crazy.

In any case, the Hyperion CEO had brought them up to his office – their office, he reminded himself. The new found power that he had was all so new to him – and directed Rhys to a secret en suite room that apparently he used on occasion when he couldn't get to his penthouse.

It was a nice little room, sparingly furnished but well dressed enough that it worked well for its intended purpose of housing one injured and reluctant siren.

Truthfully Rhys hadn't realized just how exhausted he was until he flopped down on the comfortable bed, an overnight bag that Vaughn had hastily packed for him with all of the things he would need to remedy all of the boredom he would be suffering through the next fortnight and all of his most comfortable clothes.

And Rhys, who had completely given up on trying to wriggle his way out of bed rest had put on a pair of his most comfortable knee socks – they had unicorns’ riding on rainbows on them! - and the warmest clothes that he could find, because Jack liked to keep his office so cold that Rhys was consistently a shivering mess without being dressed in several layers.

He decided to just read some pulpy novel that he had bought on a whim and never actually got around to reading and found himself easily getting lost in the prose and hadn’t noticed anyone else in the room until Vaughns’ somewhat nervous voice rang out to him with, “Hey, bro – Earth to Rhys!”

The siren jumped a bit in surprise before he turned around and smiled at the shorter man, “Hey!” he greeted, completely delighted at his best bros’ appearance. “I haven’t seen you as much since the whole-” Rhys pantomimed getting shot, “Bleh, you know?”

“Yeah, that’s not- Are you okay?” Vaughn replied, “I mean, I really didn’t expect Jack to offer to take care of you, I kinda expected that I’d be the one to do it.”

“I’m okay,” The siren replied, “Freezing cold but it’s not like I’d be warmer stuck in a hospital bed, and you know how much I hate hospitals.”

“Oh yeah.” The shorter man replied, remembering the last time he had had to drag Rhys to medical wherein Rhys had had a full-blown panic attack and had been restrained and sedated. The whole thing was a complete horror show. “I know.”

The siren hummed softly in response, crawling over to where his best friend sat and curled up next to him and cuddled up against Vaughn’s stomach. “I missed you.”

Vaughn smiled down at him, “I missed you too, man.”

“No,” Rhys replied firmly, “I mean...you’re my best friend and I missed you so much, bro.” he hummed, “Like not even best friend. You’re pretty much my only family.” Rhys turned over, “Hey, do you remember when your mom took me in? When we met?”

Vaughn paused for a moment before saying, “Ohhh, yeah.” in recognition, “I was really mad that I had to share my room.”

“Yeah! You ignored me for the first month we knew each other.” Rhys replied, laughing a little. “Then your mom got really annoyed and forced us to talk and we found out how much we had in common and we basically became best friends that night."

“It was just me and you until we met Yvette in college.”

“Have you seen Yvette at all?” Rhys replied sleepily, “I haven’t seen her since I got shot and before that I hadn’t seen her much at all either.”

“Yeah, she’s been ghosting us a little.” Vaughn agreed feeling strange about the implications of her absence but quickly shook it off, Yvette was a lot more strong than he was – there was no way that she would have betrayed them while they were on Pandora.

She just wouldn’t do that to them, not after everything the three of them had been through together.

“I’m sure it’s fine.” The siren dismissed quietly, “I’ll try to get a hold of her.” Rhys added with a shrug, eager to change the subject he asked, “How’s running accounting?”

“It’s pretty great, dude.” the shorter man assented happily, “I’ve never really been in power before but now that I’ve got some it’s… invigorating? Is that the word?”

Rhys nodded, “I think so.”

“Yeah, it’s really-”

“Speak of the devil.” Rhys hummed as Vaughns’ ECHO blared out some annoying ring tone.

“Sorry.” The shorter man replied apologetically.

Rhys shook his head dismissively, “You should read that.” he reminded.

“Right,” Vaughn agreed and then he shouted, “Crap!” as he looked back at Rhys after he read the text message. “Accounting emergency.” he added succinctly.

“Oh.”

“It’s not grave, I think I can stay if you-”

“No! Jeez, go do your job asshole!” Rhys demanded, jokingly making a bunch of shooing motions at the shorter man. “You’re the man now, go smash the system!” he added, putting his fist up in a pretend, “power to the people” display.

“Thanks man!” Vaughn replied as he hurried out, obviously trying to get out before he guilted himself into staying with the vulnerable man.

Rhys sighed after Vaughn shut the door, stuffing down his own boredom and loneliness as he made a point of curling up and taking his seventh nap for the day.

Fuck, he hated bed rest.

 

* * *

 

Rhys’ second visitor was a little bit more surprising to the siren, but he was happy to have some company nonetheless when a persistent knocking came on his door.

“Come in!” Rhys called, expecting Jack or Vaughn and he was definitely surprised when Fiona came strutting in, “Hey, Rhys.” she hummed, looking at the siren with some sympathy. “Are you doing alright?”

She could tell that being cloistered away by an incredibly over-protective Handsome Jack and a similarly mother-henning Vaughn had been wearing on him. In any case, she completely understood how hard it could be to accept help from others.

“Bored.” Rhys replied dully from behind his book, “But I've kinda just given up on arguing with you guys about it.”

Fiona grinned lopsidedly at him, “Yeah, I’ve had to put in a lot of work with Vaughn and Jack just to be able to see you.” she added, “They’re really pulling overtime trying to care for you.”

Rhys sprawled back out on the bed and flailed his limbs dramatically, “I know, I hate it so much!” he complained, kicking his legs in his anxiety and running his hands raggedly through his hair.

“I’m pretty sure what I have to deal with is worse,” Fiona argued, trying to curb Rhys’ anxiety at least a little bit. “All of these snooty Hyperions’ keep looking at me like I’m trash, really pisses me off.”

“Oh, you’ll be fine.” Rhys dismissed easily, “From what I’ve seen, you can talk your way out of pretty much anything and that’s all you need.”

Fiona huffed, “Yeah, that’s Pandora! Everyone here is all-” She sighed in frustration, “Sneaky and undercover about trying to kill you. How the hell do talk your way out of an attack you can’t see?”

“I don’t know, be polite. Wear pants-”

“Yeah, No shit.”

“Eh, call me old fashioned.” The siren joked, “But eh, I dunno...like just act like you’re the smartest person in the room and if anyone tries some shit with you, let them know that we won’t be able to get to a vault with you.” he shrugged, “Let them know that you’re not expendable. It’s not all that different from what you did on Pandora to get by.”

“Makes sense.” The con woman mumbled underneath her breath, finally taking a seat beside the bed-ridden siren as she figured the visit would be longer than just checking in on Rhys and making sure he wasn’t dead in his bed.

“How are you feeling about Jack?” Rhys asked cautiously, “Now that you’ve gotten to know him a bit more.”

“I still don’t trust him.” Fiona stated vehemently, expecting maybe something about how much of a hero Jack was but thankfully Rhys spared her the diatribe.

“Mm, understandably.” Rhys agreed, “But it’s not as if we’ve got much of a choice here, right?”

“We? I’m pretty sure you don’t have much too worry about.” The con woman replied with a derisive chuckle, “Jack has been really protective over you.” she raised an eyebrow as if suspicious of the sirens actions, “Like….really, really, really protective of you.”

“Oh, right. That.” Rhys blushed, “That’s not- he’s just keeping an eye on me because I’m useful to him for...vault reasons.”

“Mm-hmm,” She replied sarcastically, “Then why is he practically holding you captive in his office. I had to get security clearance just to visit you, do you know how weird that is?”

“I...I don’t know.” Rhys replied nervously as he took to digging his fingers into his palms. “He’s probably just making sure I don’t die in my sleep or something. Plus, it’s – it’s not like anythings’ going to even happen so you know…” He frowned, feeling his anxiety build and Rhys had always been the type to overshare and ramble when he had anxiety, so he would promptly apologize to Fiona for unloading every single thing that had been running through his over-wrought brain as soon as he managed to slow it himself.

“I trust him. That’s weird right? I don’t think trusting a mass-murderer who screams at interns is a good idea but I do!” he rambled, “It’s weird, because he’s actually pretty nice to me most of the time. It’s almost like he cares about me but I know he doesn’t.” Rhys shook his head, “He cares about Vaults and guns and murder and literally everything other than me. He’s just using me, completely typical Hyperion.”

Fiona could barely get a word in edge wise and Rhys was sure she had never had to deal with his particular brand of crazy – he gave her props for her adaptability.

“And I’m okay with that!” He added, angry with himself, “I’m okay with being taken advantage of! I mean, what the hell is wrong with me?” Rhys started slowing in his words a bit, calmer than he was just moments before, “I even accidentally told him when I was on all those opiates about how I was abducted-”

“Hold on, you were abducted?”

“Oh, um yeah.” Rhys spoke back, quickly continuing on with his rambling confessions. “And I haven’t even told Vaughn, which is weird you know? You’d think that he would be the freaking first to know but-”

“And you haven’t told Vaughn about that?”

He frowned, “For the most part, Vaughn has no idea about me. He knows I’m a siren but...” Rhys clicked his tongue, “Not much else.” he shrugged, “I mean, that’s the way I want it to be. Vaughn’s so...normal and well-adjusted.” he looked at her weirdly, “You too.”

Fiona arched a brow, about to say something when Rhys continued rambling.

“Well, you know it’s – I don’t mean it like that, you know I...” he sighed out shakily, “Never mind, I’m just – I’m talking shit just ignore me.”

“Alright,” The con woman agreed and they talked about other things after that, things that had no meaning and didn’t really matter.

Like how Fiona had never had a latte before but now that she had had one she’s pretty sure she could never go back to dirt-black Pandoran coffee, or how Rhys had had no idea just how much paperwork was involved in running Hyperion and he was secretly so glad that Jack was there helping him.

It was actually pretty nice and he surely hoped that Fiona wasn’t just being nice to him now so she could more easily fuck him over at a later time because he was honestly getting pretty tired of being betrayed.

* * *

Jack on the other hand was losing his goddamn mind researching adaptive bonding in the Eridians – or creatures biologically similar to them at least – and listening to the thesis’ that that lunatic Tannis published on the connections between sirens and Eridians, despite his own distaste for her.

_**“Interestingly enough, the way that Sirens’ react to treatments of raw, untreated Eridium seems to bolster their innate abilities much in the way that steroids would help with an athlete. After some testing I have found that this does not have any similar effect in individuals not born as sirens.** _

_**This finding is disappointing but not out of the realm of expectations.** _

_**Upon further research, I discovered recordings of an adaptive bond between an Eridian creature and an adolescent siren in an abandoned Atlas facility that I hid from Roland and...other people in.”** _

Jack sat up, he was sure that Tannis was talking about Rhys – he had no idea why or how, just that he knew.

That was pretty interesting and moreover it meant that this bond was real and not just some fever dream that either he or Rhys had cooked up while he was riding shot gun in his head.

_**“Unfortunately, the siren seems to have disappeared upon the decimation of Atlas, again – disappointing but not unexpected.** _

_**In any case it would seem, through my interactions between both sirens Lilith and Maya is that sirens are in and of themselves emotional beings.** _

_**That would suggest then that there might be an additional connection between their powers and emotions, this could be either incredibly disastrous or powerful. This is further proven by Angel and Handsome Jacks’ consequential death-”** _

Jack didn’t hesitate to take his pistol out and shoot the ECHO log enough times that the square shaped device was no more than a blackened mark on his desk. He didn’t think about her, it was the only way that he could stay sane. He couldn’t acknowledge what he did to her, he made his baby girl so miserable that the only thing she could thing to do was recruit some fucking bandits to help her kill herself.

He was an absolutely awful father, he knew that. No matter what he tried to do for her it always ended up wrong, he always ended up just hurting her more.

Jack growled and shook his head, he couldn’t think about her anymore because he would just end up driving himself crazy with guilt.

**_Because you killed her._ **

“No.” he dismissed, shaking his head as if the action would stave off his intrusive thoughts.

You might as well have put a gun to her head and forced her to suicide.

He stood up, looking for the picture of her that he kept stashed in his office. He needed to see her face, needed to remember that there was a time that she smiled.

A time where she didn’t hate him.

_**You killed her, you murdered your own daughter, you -** _

“AGH! SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Jack screamed, snapping at his own thoughts. He couldn’t help himself, he was just so angry. At himself, at his brain, at the fucking Vault Hunters. “I KNOW, I FUCKING KNOW WHAT I DID JUST-” He kicked over a trash can, practically threw over his desk and destroyed all of the contents on it in his rage. “I know.” he repeated numbly, “I know.”

Jack grimaced as he looked to see the damage of what he had done, his chest was still heaving as he made a call to janitorial to clean up the mess in his office.

His mess. Because he had a goddamn temper tantrum. He needed to get out of this office, maybe he’d go check up on Rhys. Kiddo always had the miraculous ability to help him keep his cool and these days he needed it more than ever.

This whole thing, this bond or whatever that kept Rhys tied to him was so frustrating to him. Jack was pretty sure that with all the agitation he felt whenever Rhys was in any form of distress it wouldn’t matter that he was resurrected from the goddamn grave because Rhys would just give him a heart attack and he would die any way.

He was pretty sure Rhys couldn’t feel it, or maybe he was better at ignoring his own instincts – he didn’t fucking know. He wasn’t sure if he trusted Rhys with the information, especially while he was on drugs that made him a babbling uninhibited mess.

He looked down upon the siren, curled up around several blankets and mumbling something. Upon closer inspection he noted that Rhys was having another god-awful nightmare, he made a mental note to get Rhys down to medical so he could have someone give him something strong for that.

He sat down and Rhys immediately gravitated towards the other man, practically curling in his lap. Jack sighed and pulled the siren against him, enjoying how Rhys practically fell limp against him. "I'm stuck on you, cupcake." He gruffly murmured into Rhys' ear.

"Even if I wanted to leave you or kill you. I can't, fucking Eridians. 'you die, I die.' son of a taint, I just can't catch a break can I?" Jack carded his fingers through Rhys' Auburn locks.

Rhys stirred, looking up sleepily at the man. "Jack?" he mumbled, nuzzling into the other mans chest. What was wrong with this kid? He was so freaking clingy, he acted so pathetic and needy.  
The funny thing about it was that it wouldn’t have been all that frustrating if the contact was annoying instead of...whatever the hell it was...not annoying he guessed.

Kind of nice actually because Rhys needed him, despite how powerful he was, Rhys was always looking to him for some kind of reassurance and it really played to Jacks’ ego.

"Sleep, kitten. You'll need it." Jack groaned in irritation, he just wished that he wasn’t so god awful at all of this...emotional crap.

* * *

_The emergency doors swung open with a loud CLANG, the lights of Atlas’ facility turning a dark red had the space looking like a dark room and not a completely unethical scientific experimentation bay. Rhys frowned, shooting up in his bed to realize that his bindings were gone._

_“What’s going on?” He asked Asha, with little hope that she would know more about what was happening than he did. “Why am I untied?”_

_“Someone came in.” Asha replied, “He untied you, I’m not sure of why.” she shook her head, “Maybe he thought that you aren’t a siren?”_

_In any case, he was gonna get out of this hell hole and fast. First, he needed this damn collar off and although he knew how, the siren was fairly loathe to do it._

_So Rhys decided to just suck it up and he attempted to use his powers, crying out at the gut-wrenching pain that it caused him. He sunk to the ground as the collar began to sizzle and burn as he channeled his rage, he could do this – he could short it out, if he focused all of his entire being._

_So he did. He thought about each and every thing that he had lost, ever trial and tribulation that he had to go through because of the way he was born._

_When it began working it felt like his abilities were completely drained and he almost hoped that his powers would just sap into the collar and never come back. All this cosmic power had done was cause him trouble – it costed him his family, his normalcy, his sense of self and literally an arm...and an eye._

_“It’s off.” Rhys realized as he blasted at the window, then he shrilly cried with joy, “IT’S OFF!” He felt good, powerful...fucking free._

_He jumped up, high on adrenaline and as he ran out the door he was practically skipping._

_Rhys’ adrenaline was not as high when he came to the realization that he had no idea where he even was, for all he knew he could be on Pandora or even worse, Promethea. Rhys looked around, trying to gauge his surroundings for something familiar. He found nothing, so he just ran towards a distant light, hoping that it was a hotel or a restaurant or something like that._

_Rhys ran so far and so fast that his lungs began to burn and he had the overwhelming urge to vomit but he stubbornly pressed on nevertheless._

_“Oh thank god,” Rhys gasped out loud as he neared upon a well lit diner. He limped into the diner, hoping that maybe someone could help him. With the way everyone in the space stopped and stared at him Rhys knew that he must have looked like some kind of freak – he was a fourteen year-old boy missing his right eye and his left arm, dressed in only a pair of scanty shorts and practically covered in dirt from all the running he did._

_“Kid, what are you doing here?” The bartender, a large and burly man who he probably wouldn’t have wanted to speak to in any other circumstance. “You need me to call someone?”_

_“Wh-where am I?” He asked, feeling almost hysterical. “Is this one of the Edens?”_

_“You’re on Athena, hon.” A woman in a waitress’ uniform supplied for him. She had a kind face, he thought as she smiled at him. “Is that where your from? Do you know who we can call for you?”_

_“N-no, there’s no one.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_Rhys stumbled over trying to walk closer to the bartender, hoping that he could get a few more answers from the man. He fell down to the ground and a sob was wrenched from him, he felt so freaking pathetic. “Th-they’re dead.” he mumbled out pitifully, “My parents. Dead.”_

_Turns out pathetic was the right motif to go with because in minutes he was being hoisted up by the bartender and his wife was plying him with food and looking over his wounds fastidiously. Rhys wondered as they fretted over him what the hell was going to happen now._

_Still, their presence was fairly comforting and he wasn’t really so much angry now that he was gone and he got to kill his tormentors, now he was just tired._

_Not just tired, exhausted. He was feeling exhausted in every single way possible and lost, he wanted to be able to go home to his parents or at least to his home town but he knew that he could never have that._

_So he just slumped over numbly as the two adults crowding around him tried to talk out what they would be able to do for him. He zoned in and out, sleepily hanging onto the bar and pressing his head against the wooden counter._

_He was so tired that he ended up falling asleep, drooling on the counter in a dead, dreamless sleep that even the couple arguing about him couldn’t rouse him. What did end up waking him up was a hand shaking him gently until he opened his eyes and looked at the couple owlishly, “What, what’s happening?” he asked stupidly._

_“I’m sorry to wake you, hun.” The woman said, “But it’s just that we didn’t get your name?”_

_“Oh,” He mumbled sleepily, rubbing his remaining eye unconsciously. “M’names Rhys.”_

_“Maggie don’t-”_

_“Well,” She smiled, “Rhys, we were thinking that we could have you stay with us,” The woman, whose name was apparently Maggie interrupted her husband. “You seem like a good kid and...” She frowned, looking a him with such a sad expression. “No child should have to deal with whatever you went through.”_

_She had no idea exactly how bad it was for him and he didn’t care to think of what she thought had happened to him, so he just focused on the warmth spreading through him just from someone being nurturing to him in the first time in about eight years._

_“Oh.” Rhys softly replied, “Like temporarily? Until you can get me into a foster home?”_

_“Maybe.” The man replied, not unkindly. “We have a son and he’s...particular.”_

_“Okay.” Rhys mumbled politely, making a point of not ruining this wondrous opportunity._

_“Dave, don’t be a prick.” Maggie snapped, before turning to Rhys. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, you seem like a good kid and I’m sure you’ll get on with Vaughn just fine.”_

_“Just on a trial period.” Dave insisted._

_“Yes, Dave. Just for a trial period.” She agreed flippantly, “But I’m completely sure that you’ll be fine.”_

_Rhys nodded understandingly, it wasn’t as if these people owed him anything. They were perfect strangers to him and he barely expected them to get him to a hospital, let alone try and take him in. He truly hadn’t expected any sort of kindness and it was decently refreshing._

* * *

Back on Pandora, Maya was having doubts about how much good Lilith was actually doing for Pandora and if the Fire-Hawk even wished to help the poor, suffering fools that lived on the planet or if all she planned to do was fuel the fires of her rage and revenge.

Not that Handsome Jack was even an optional alternative to what the Crimson Raiders were doing, but still it didn’t give her the opportunity to point a gun on Athena like that, it was just...uncharacteristic of her and she had been disillusioned at that point and with the way the Crimson Raiders were falling apart at the seams, she wasn’t sure that she was all that willing to stay and watch the fallout.

Besides, Maya hadn’t come to Pandora for anything more than information about sirens. She knew a lot, more than most, but she needed to know more and all that Pandora had given her was blood on her hands and more questions than answers.

Still, for the time being she was stuck on Pandora and until she could figure a way off of Pandora – maybe she would go to Artemis, or Athena...maybe even one of the Edens – she had to play nice and not agitate Lilith, something that was getting easier and easier to accomplish everyday since she lost Roland.

Maya patrolled the streets of Sanctuary, making a point of avoiding her team-mates while she did so. She needed to think and she couldn’t very well do that with any distractions around.

In the midst of her brooding she alerted Gaige, who noticed her before she could turn around and continue on avoiding the rest of Sanctuary effectively.

“Hey Maya!” Gaige called, the bubbly engineer practically bouncing as she called the siren over. She sighed, shaking her head a bit at the way that Gaige acted as she walked over to her.

She liked Gaige, the teenage engineer was smart and competent – if a little stubbornly optimistic. Still, she seriously considered just running off like some kind of child making a point of literally avoiding their problems.

The blue haired siren gave Gaige a clinical seeming half smile, “Hey.” she stated blankly, then looking at the scientifically inclined girl, “What’s up?”

“Oh...not much. Just try’na figure out what Jack having a siren will do this time.” The mech-romancer replied, “He’s been pretty quiet lately and a lot of us are freaking out.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” The siren agreed quickly, “It’s not like Handsome Jack to be quiet and withdrawn.”

“He talks more than anyone I’ve ever met.” The teenager admitted with a giggle.

“Do you think that this kid that Jacks’ got wrapped around his finger even realizes what a monster he is?” Maya wondered aloud.

“How could he not?” Gaige answered, “He’s Hyperion Maya they’re like...the Empire mixed with the Daleks on crack.” The Mech-romancer had a look on her face like the entire situation was obvious. Maya looked at her quizzically so Gaige continued on, “They’re evil and- you know working with someone like that’s gotta mean he’s at least a little eensy teensy bit evil.”

She didn’t think it was a matter of good or evil, but she didn’t really comment on it.

“Or, you know maybe he’s not.” Gaige hummed, “That doesn’t change the fact that he’s working with the enemy.”

“Huh,” The siren replied, unsure of what to say about her ambivalence. She just wasn’t sure that that was true, Angel had been Hyperion too and they wouldn’t have succeeded without her sacrifice.

“Anyway!” The mech-romancer sang, “Lilith has been looking around for you, something important apparently.” then she wriggled her brows, “She said it was something that only a siren could do and she wasn’t able to, so it’s gotta be wicked important.”

“Fuck,” The siren mumbled under her breath before addressing Gaige with a curt, “Thanks.” and running off to see what the Fire-hawk even wanted from her.

* * *

Rhys felt much better today than he had in the past week, he hoped that he could talk his doctor into letting him off of bed rest a few days early. He had a feeling that the over-protective mafia that was his support system would practically put him in a blanketed straitjacket and force him to tough out the entire period.

Still, he wanted to try.

“Mornin’ sleeping beauty.” Jack murmured to his leggy counterpart as Rhys padded over to him sleepily. “You feelin’ alright, Rhysie? I know you’ve been in and out a lot.”

Rhys – Jack noticed early on, was pretty sensitive to opiates. He would be barely there for the most part, looking past him and stumbling over like he was a completely wasted. It got to the point where he couldn’t even really leave his bed when he was on them. Something that only served to drive the bed-ridden siren absolutely insane.

“Hey,” Rhys hummed back, “I didn’t take the pills this morning, well I took the antibiotics but not the pain killers.”

“Cute.” The older man mumbled to himself before asking Rhys, “You’re not in any pain?”

“Not as much.” The siren dismissed, furrowing his brows. “I’m still having pains but it’s more manageable and… I like the way that the pills feel too much and that makes me feel a little like a drug addict.” Rhys added, “and by a little I mean a lot.”

The Hyperion CEO grimaced as Rhys wavered a bit and almost fell over, “Rhysie, I really think you should get back in bed.”

“I’m okay.” Rhys yelp as he managed to balance himself, still hoping for the best. “Plus if I’m being honest here, I’m really bored of sitting around all laid up useless.”

It was probably a lost cause, the siren realized that. He had only completed half of his recovery time before he started getting cabin fever and his friends were not so willing to let him go after he got himself hurt in such a ridiculous way.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, babe.”

“But I’m-” Rhys was cut off by his own cry of pain as his wound made him feel worse than he had in the entirety of his bed rest.

“See?” Jack stated in a triumphant way, “Bad idea.” he clicked his tongue, “Let’s getcha back to bed, alright Rhysie?”

“No, come on I’m so freaking bored!” Rhys complained in kind backing away from the older man in his haste, “I’m not taking the painkillers and I-”

“No.”

“But I-” Rhys took one more step forward before he tripped over his own feet and crashed to the ground painfully, “Ow. Ow, I think I’m okay – maybe, I don’t know...” he frowned, looking pleadingly towards the older man. “Can you help me up, please?”

Despite his own wishes to leave Rhys there as a lesson to listen to him from now on, Jack leaned forward and pulled the siren up and walked – dragged – him back into his room.

“Jack?”

Jack ignored him simply because he was pretty annoyed with the siren because arguing with Rhys was more annoying than anyone else that he had ever argued with in his entire life.

Both of them, he had had two lives and in each one Rhys took the cake for, “Most Annoying Person I Have Ever Had An Argument With.”

And it was definitely made worse by the fact that his siren counterpart wasn’t so much arguing as he was pleading pitifully with Jack to just please let him be a little less useless and the CEO was hard-pressed not to let him.

Still, Rhys’ doctor had been extremely adamant about making sure that he was not dealing with any sort of stress and making sure that the siren was relaxed for the entirety of his bed rest. So he took advantage of the fact that Rhys really didn’t use his powers – not even on accident, for the most part – and took to caging the siren in his arms and getting him back in his room.

“Just, anything!” The siren whined as Jack practically carried him back to his room, “I’m so bored, so so so bored I just want something to do,” he begged, “Seriously, I’ll do anything really!”

Jack pushed Rhys back down on the bed as gently as he could, “I’ll get something for you to work on Rhysie, but you’re working out of this bed.” he ordered, “I’m not having you popping any stitches or anything as equally stupid as that.”

Rhys was so delighted at the prospect of being able to keep busy for the first time in a while that he didn’t even care to ask what he would be working on. He just grinned when Jack handed him an ECHO-pad with some majorly encrypted files on it.

“You can crack that right, babe?” Jack asked, not really caring for whatever the answer Rhys had. In any case he was sure that the siren could handle himself well enough. “Cause it’s been giving me some trouble and I don’t really have any time to deal with it.”

“Sure, I think I can manage it.” Rhys answered with an easy grin, “Do you know what it is?”

“Not exactly,” The CEO admitted, “There was a break in at one of the encrypted sectors on Helios and some idiot left it behind.”

Rhys hummed noncommittally in response, not caring much for the hows and whys as Jack walked back out.

Right before he was out the door, the Hyperion CEO turned around and said, “Oh one more thing, don’t use your ECHO for it. It could be a trap.”

“Of course!” The siren answered back in offense, “I’m not an idiot.”

“Sure, babe.” Jack assented, giving him finger guns that Rhys weakly returned on his way out.  
**  
Turns out the work that Lilith wanted to assign her was probably the most dangerous mission that she could ever have to do – she wanted Maya to go to Hyperion and spy for the Crimson Lance.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Maya growled out at the orders Lilith had for her, it’s not as if she much confidence in her place on Sanctuary but she hadn’t expected to be vaulted into a double-agent role. Besides, she’s not really known for her ability to blend in and be inconspicuous.

“We need to figure exactly how good this siren is,” Lilith argued back, “And how likely he would be to turn on Jack so we can finally take Hyperion down once and for all.”

“Yeah, it’s only the most dangerous place for any siren to be in.” She replied with more irritation, “Let alone one that’s responsible for killing Handsome Jack in the first place.”

“It’s not you he hates.” The Fire-Hawk reminded gravely, “The minute he sees my face he’ll have me tortured for hours on end and killed.”

“Well, that doesn’t make it any less of a death wish for me!” She snapped back, feeling angrier than she’d been when she had killed the monks who had raised her and twice as betrayed.

Lilith fumed at Maya, her own anger becoming visible as flames licked her own body and her intangible wings spread out in large expanse, “This isn’t a request!” She stated angrily, “This is an order, you’re the only one who can do this and you will.”

This was the exact reason that Maya had refused to touch Eridium, she could have used it had she wanted to but the side effects didn’t seem to be worth the rush of power that those who used it got – Lilith may have been incredibly powerful now but she seemed less and less like a person and more than an Eridium starved beast every single day.

“Fine.” the blue haired siren spat, “It’s not as if you’re really going to give me a choice.”

“I’ll mark the location of the dead drop where you will,” Lilith put up air-quotes, “Surrender,” she added, “To Hyperion and offer your aide to Handsome Jacks’ siren.”

Lilith seemed pleased, she had never been the type that could lead an army – she was short-sighted and impulsive, these things she knew but Rolands’ death and her capture had changed her.

Broken her, even. She needed Jack dead again, and his siren – simply because this evil dictator didn’t deserve any new chances at happiness and she could tell from the way that captured Hyperion employees spoke that he seemed to care about this, “Rhys” more than most of the people that Jack had come into contact with in his life.

Maya on the other hand was pretty sure that Lilith had practically just sent her on death mission and even if she did manage to survive Helios, she wasn’t coming back to Pandora if her life depended on it.

Maya sighed, “Time to try out for my new career as a Hyperion sell out.” she murmured to herself as she made way for the coordinates that Lilith had logged into her ECHO.

Maya guessed that it could have turned out to be worse, she could have been like Roland.

_She could be dead._


	6. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya surrenders, Rhys tries to understand Maliwan and almost dies in the process (not really) 
> 
> Jack acknowledges his feelings (whaaaaaaaaaat?) and the real Rhack finally happens! WITH FROTTAGE!

A few weeks later and Rhys was almost to the point where he was okay to work again – he would have been better sooner but Rhys just had no idea how to be a sick person – and the lanky COO was practically jumping with joy at the idea of being useful again.

There were a lot of things that needed to be done at Hyperion and although he’s sure that Jack could run the place completely fine without him, Rhys still really enjoyed being a part of the process.

Doing his part at helping to keep the cogs of Hyperion turning had always been something that he had taken pride in doing and it was even more fulfilling now that he was practically at the top of the food chain.

In any case, he stood proud after spending about two hours on his appearance – something he had been too delirious and bedridden to actually have the wherewithal to take care of in the usually obsessive manner that he was prone to do.

Rhys walked out of the bathroom and smiled as he saw Vaughn sitting on the couch, fiddling with his glasses is a bored manner.

“Hey bro,” Vaughn greeted as he noticed the siren.

“Morning.” Rhys greeted his shorter friend in kind, “Sorry about dragging you here last night.”

Truthfully, the siren wasn’t used to living by himself in any capacity and he had been sharing a room with Vaughn since his parents had taken Rhys in. Vaughn grinned as he assured Rhys, “You know I got your back bro.”

“Yeah, except for that time you almost got us killed by Vasquez.” Rhys joked bleakly and when he noticed Vaughn’s face fall and he took to backpedaling, “Kidding! Kidding, sorry...that was in bad taste.”

“Ha ha,” Vaughn rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, “Probably would have gone better for the two of us – four of us, I guess – if you had let us know that about your...siren...ness.”

Rhys laughed at that, equally awkward in tenor. “Yeah, maybe…” he admitted as he kept thinking about how terrible it probably would have ended up – everyone dead, fire everywhere, basically the rapture going on in the caravan.

“You want some breakfast?” Rhys blurted out, desperately wanting to avoid any and everything to do with his otherness.

“Cause I’m gonna make some and you know how much I hate eating alone,” He gave the shorter male an overtly cheery smile, “Plus I know you really like my cooking.” he sang as an afterthought.

Although Vaughn knew Rhys well enough that he could usually tell when the other male was lying or avoiding a subject, he decided to drop it for now and ended up nodding and saying, “Sure thing man.” like the decent and true bro that he was.

Rhys became more and more grateful to him with each and every passing day.

* * *

Rhys barely got into his shared office with Jack before the older man was grabbing a hold of his organic arm and pulling him along, the siren looked at Jack in confusion as the man kept dragging him along.

“We got a meeting, Rhysie.” Jack explained in a short tone as Rhys struggled to keep up with the older man, “Maliwan – we’re trying to create better business relationships and blah blah blah, kinda boring but you know...”

“Better than an assassination attempt?” Rhys quipped as Jack trailed off, uncharacteristically quiet for a moment.

The older man smirked, “Definitely better than that.” he snarked back in reply, “But you know, it might still happen.” he added in a jokingly hopeful tone.

Rhys scoffed, “That would be a god awful first day back – like I just got shot again, right after I got myself shot.” he let out a nervous, fluttery giggle at the end as if to punctuate the statement. Awkward jokes seemed to be just his thing that day, he thought.

They walked side by side with each other, the halls of Helios seemed like they were winding for longer and longer than they ever had – Rhys was feeling some disassociative feelings as he walked, like the usually precise halls of Helios were stretched impossibly far away. Like he was Alice In Wonderland trying to figure out how exactly a raven was like a writing desk.

Rhys pursed his lips, deciding to blame that on a Vicodin hangover and definitely not the fact that he was woozy from the high of being so comfortable with Handsome Jack that he was actually joking and laughing with the CEO.

“How freakin’ surreal.” He whispered to himself, almost not realizing that he had said the phrase out loud.

“Hm? Did you say somethin’ pumpkin?” Jack asked, looking at the siren with something fond in his gaze. Rhys avoided the older mans’ gaze with a vigor of a man with a gun posed to his head that might go off if he locked eyes with the older man.

“Oh, I...nothing.” Rhys stuttered out, again thinking of how strange it was that he and his idol were almost on equal footing. “So, uh...ha, Maliwan huh? Have we been having some sort of pissing contest with them and not...Dahl?” He snorted unattractively, “I mean it’s a good thing it’s not Dahl because, they’re so intense and sort of dramatic-”

“Rhysie.” Jack’s utterance of his name cut him out of his ramblings and he finally looked back at the other man.

“Hmm?”

“You’re rambling again, babe.” Jack reminded, “You should probably cut that out before we walk into this shit show.”

“Oh, Right.” Rhys blinked a few times, before promptly shutting up and internally preparing himself for the first cross corporation meeting that he would be at the head of instead of passing out paper coffee cups and smiling awkwardly like he had in his intern days.

* * *

 

While Rhys wasn’t doing any coffee pouring or anything else more suited to the role of a stewardess, there was no less awkwardness involved and for that matter no less cloying looks from executives. At the very least, the executives looking at him like a piece of meat weren’t Hyperion.

Still, the Maliwan representatives seemed almost alien to him – all perfect teeth and well-coiffed hair that didn’t go out of place if you held them hostage against a dust storm, they smiled a little too much, they were a little too friendly and the worst part of it was that it seemed almost...sincere?

People at Hyperion were prone to act friendly, but it was just as fake as a bowl of plastic fruit and Rhys knew to never feed into that sort of thing, but these people were either very much willing to increase friendliness with Hyperion or this was a plan of corporate espionage at it’s finest and Maliwan just happened to have academy award winning actors on their payroll.

The siren was banking on the latter, now that Handsome Jack was back in power everyone was nipping at his heels either to worship him, kill him or both.

As he sat, awaiting the meeting to actually start – no one spoke or even tried to reach for coffee, presumably they were waiting for Handsome Jack to address the room out of respect and fear – Rhys drummed his fingers anxiously, as if the moment that Jack stood to start the meeting it would begin with him shooting an intern and declaring war on all of the Edens.

Which even for someone like Handsome Jack, a type of man who took pleasure in murder and mayhem and strangled people because he was bored, was a little bit extreme.

Jack leaned back in his chair, “Alright let’s get this started.” he exclaimed in an overtly loud tone, looking at the group of shiny, live sized corporate barbie dolls with a wolfish grin. “So unless Rhysie has something to say-”

“I do.” The siren interjected and Jack motioned for him to go ahead with a wave of his hand.

“Well, I have two questions – why are you suddenly coming to Hyperion only months after Handsome Jacks… return and secondly, what do you think you could offer us that we don’t already have.”

“And who exactly do you think you are?” A woman who sits on the far right asked in a sickly sweet tone – like he was getting a dose of Pepto Bismol to the ears.

“Well…I’m the vice president.” Rhys replied in just as sweet of a tone and he put forth all of the passive aggression that he could muster into that one sentence.

He was honestly so tired of being talked down to by people who still chose to believe that he was just a data miner with a fancy title, “And Jack trusts me, he has me in here so I don’t think it really matters who I am to you.” he added with no small amount of venom in his tone.

If Rhys was paying attention to the way that Jack was looking at him, he might have seen the admiration on his face. If Rhys had been looking he would have noticed that Jack was really impressed with his VP – because the siren had been taking everything thrown at him like a damn champ.

The woman let out an irritated huff, still refusing to answer either of his questions. “Let’s begin, shall we?”

Jack snorted at that, he liked it when Rhys showed all the higher ups what Jack already knew about the siren – that he wasn’t just a pretty face and that he had deserved all the high regard on Helios that he had gotten so far and more than deserved the feared looks that he was occasionally given by employees.

Someone had seen Rhys’ tattoos flickering apparently and now a rumor circulated through Helios that the vice president of Hyperion was a siren. It was true, funnily enough but he had hoped to have Rhys’ abilities revealed in a more badass way.

Like, in front of the entire populace of Helios – maybe in the hub of heroism during a required event – in a way that ended in the death of someone traitorous.

“…Jack?” Rhys whispered as he caught the older mans attentions.

“Hm?” Jack hummed back to the siren.

Rhys giggled, “Uh, you zoned out.”

Oh. Well, that wasn’t really life or death – especially seeing as how none of the Maliwan representatives were permitted weapons, most of Helios weren’t even allowed to bear arms save for Jack, Rhys and the security officials. “What’d I miss?”

“They want to collaborate.” Rhys filled him in.

“That’s not really Hyperions thing.”

“I tried to tell them that but-”

“Are you sure that you don’t need it?” The Maliwan CEO goaded them and Rhys immediately pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration – it seemed as though they couldn’t go more than a day without some sort of conflict.

“The hell did you just say?” Jack snapped back and Rhys sat back, watching the two presidents argue about why their prospective company was better.

Watching these two outstanding egos go at it was almost like watching the climax in a pulpy stage play that he may or may not have seen on Eden-5 back in his college days and though he would deny it if anyone asked him – he was definitely enraptured with the whole thing and if he had a bucket of popcorn, he might have been shoving handfuls in his mouth.

He didn’t have any popcorn – thank god, Jack might have gone after him next for being so impulsive and stupid – so he decided to watch in ire, hoping that the situation would diffuse by itself either by miracle or both of the battling egos canceling each other out.

Rhys only decided to intervene once Jack had his hands around the other mans’ throat, “Jack!” He whisper yelled to the other man with one cautiously placed hand on the mans shoulder. In truth he was a little mortified but still not very surprised that Handsome Jack would have reached over a table to attempt to strangle a man.

“Jack!” he cried out again, definitely loud enough for the entire board to hear, “JACK!”

“What?!” Jack snapped and Rhys struggled not to flinch. Instead he held his head up high in an almost haughty display as he mustered his courage.

“We...You should probably refrain from strangling Maliwans’ figure head,” He turned to give the Maliwan head a pointed disapproving look, “Even if he has no idea what kind of genius that Hyperion has under it’s belt.”

There was a pregnant pause in the room in which you could not only hear a pen drop but be able to differentiate the cadence in every persons breathing. It lasted for far longer than it should have and Rhys was trying to be gentle in his approach as his counter-part slowly but surely calmed down.

“You’re right, kitten. This shit stains not worth it.” Jack said simply before addressing the rest of the room. “Well, this was a shit show! Enjoy the amenities of another night on Helios before you promptly get the fuck off my space station.”

Rhys let out a breath that he hadn’t realized that he had been holding in as Jack carelessly dropped the other CEO and the man fell back in his chair – unharmed, yet incredibly emasculated by the situation.

‘Okay, good. This is good,’ Rhys thought shakily, ‘No murders today and that’s all I can really hope for.’

Jack stood up, ready to wipe his hands of the past hour or so and motioned for Rhys to follow him, the siren obeyed seemingly on auto pilot – he walked in sync with Jacks foot steps but he was altogether robotic and unenthusiastic.

The CEO figured that Rhys was just getting lost in his thoughts and though it would have been funny enough to call him out for brooding – he didn’t hate that starry, far off look that Rhys got on his face when he was thinking too much.

Even with how much he liked the look on his counterparts face, it didn’t take him long to tire of the winding, thick silence and he clapped Rhys hard on the shoulder to catch his attentions.

“Rhysie, you there babe?” Jack said, although Rhys took a few moments to actually register that he was saying anything.

It didn’t help that Jack decided to snap his fingers at the siren, like he was trying to call attentions to a dog or a particularly stupid child.

He wrinkled his nose at the implication and tried to put his jumbled thoughts together.

“Yes?” Rhys spoke barely above a whisper, feeling like he had cotton balls stuck in the back of his throat as every single word that he said took a measure of effort beyond his social capabilities.

“Are you hungry, pumpkin?” Jack asked, effectively ruining whatever moment that they may have been having. “Cause, let me tell ya – I am fucking ravenous, babe.”

Rhys laughed and nodded in agreement. He followed along Jack’s coattails, trying to way lay the awkwardness of the situation as he realized that having Jack be so close and become so human to him had just turned his annoying little crush on the man into an embarrassing disaster in the make.

* * *

Down on Sanctuary, Maya had been staving off her trip to surrender before Lilith had practically shoved her in a technical and on her way.

She made a lot of excuses about having missions to do and needing to do a few personal favors for Scooter, Moxxi or Marcus because knowing what she had taken part in with Angel, she wasn’t entirely sure that Handsome Jack would put training his siren above cold revenge murder.

And Maya wasn’t sure that she could blame him for that and if she was being honest with herself, she had taken umbrage with being part of helping Angel kill herself.

Or in Handsome Jack’s point of view...murdered her.

She supposed that it really didn’t matter in any case, Maya was the only siren other than Lilith in Sanctuary and as far as the Vault Hunters were concerned – she was the only one able to go up to Helios.

Hyperion had changed the bounty of every known siren from ‘dead or alive’ to ‘Alive’ simply because Handsome Jack wanted to turn the siren he acquired into a weapon – well, all the sirens except for Lilith. Jack had made it pretty blatant that he wanted her practically drawn and quartered.

So even if the Fire-Hawk would have been willing to offer up her chance at safety to get information on what was going on on Helios, she wouldn’t have been able to do so without signing her own death sentence.

So she kept on walking, infuriated with everything about the whole situation but resigned in the fact that there was nothing to be done about it.

“Is that a bandit?” one of the Hyperion combat engineers spoke to the other as they noticed Maya walking towards the group of soldiers.

“I think it’s a siren.” Hyperion engineer two replied and Maya had to stop herself from rolling her eyes and groaning out loud.

“Nah, couldn’t be.” Hyperion One dismissed, “Why the hell would a siren come up here?”

“No. see?” Hyperion Two slapped Hyperion One upside the head, “The tattoos.”

“Any girl can get tattoos!” Hyperion One argued back, “What makes you think this one’s important.”

 _‘These guys must be new’_ Maya thought with irritated realization, _‘Because of course this couldn’t just be simple. I have to deal with dangerous amounts of stupid as well.’_

Eventually their bickering got to her as they kept droning on with one another, “Both of you just stop!” She snapped, hoping that not all of the Hyperion workers were this stupid. She sighed in exasperation, “I’m a siren!” she added in her annoyance, “I’m. Surrendering.”

“Oh. Well, I suppose you should...” Hyperion one trailed off uncomfortably, “Come with us then.”

“Yeah…” Hyperion Two agreed, equally uncomfortable as his counterpart.

Maya put up no resistance as hand cuffs we’re put on her and let herself be led to what seemed to be a transport bay.

 _‘So far so good’,_ she thought, _‘I’m not dead yet. And by the looks of it, these idiots aren’t putting forth any effort in harming me.’_

She really hoped this whole, ‘corporate espionage’ thing worked out for her. A big space station with a bunch of corporate stooges that would look on her with suspicion and trepidation was truly out of her comfort zone.

* * *

Rhys came back to his apartment and promptly threw his body down on his bed – exhausted by the events of the day and ready to stew in that tiredness as long as he was able.

He had plans for his night which all involved being on his own – or just with Vaughn, maybe – curling up underneath blankets with a tub of ice cream, and maybe putting on a cheesy movie before he passed out for the next day.

The siren lay himself down on the expensive couch and allowed himself to relax on top of the upholstery and blankets, Rhys cradled his head in his arms and fell asleep within the hour stretched out on the seat like a lazy house cat.

Surprisingly to himself – he had no nightmares, that was something he hadn’t been able to enjoy since before he got screwed over by Vasquez.

He dreamt of nondescript landscapes and sweet memories that he hadn’t remembered that he had ever had – it felt like a greeting card and that wasn’t a bad thing for him seeing as how he actually felt peaceful for the first time in as long as he could remember.

Unfortunately, the peace was disturbed when he woke up to Yvette and Vaughn standing over him, the both of them looking at him incredulously.

“You’re already asleep?” Yvette asked rhetorically, “Did become a big wig turn you into an old man?”

Rhys just weakly glared at her, “What are you guys doing here?” he croaked out hoarsely as he sat up, looking at the group with squinted, light sensitive eyes.

“Wh-who let you all in here?” Rhys narrowed his eyes at his shorter best friend. “Seriously, bro?” he asked incredulously, “I really wanted some nice quiet time.”

“Sorry.” Vaughn apologized as sincerely as he could, “It’s just – you know, and Yvette was really…” he sighed as he trailed off, “I’m sorry, Rhys. Really.”

He frowned and bit the inside of his cheek in thought, “It’s okay.” he acquiesced hesitantly.

“Good.” Yvette said, putting her hands on her hips, moving to pull the siren up off of the bed. “Cause we’re goin’ out and you’re coming with.”

He whined and moved to bury himself back underneath his blanket fort, “I don’t – I just want to sleep.” he protested in what he was sure sounded like an absolutely pathetic tone.

He knew that Yvette alone would be able to goad him out of bed, so having all of his friends surrounding him – he would not be able to enjoy the decent nights rest and relaxation that he so desperately needed.

Although Rhys hadn’t been surprised in the least that Yvette and Vaughn had decided to drag him off to a fancy club on one of Helios’ sub stations as a celebration for surviving what had to be the most jarring meeting that he had ever taken part in let alone being at the head of, he wasn’t exactly excited to go.

Because he was blindingly tired and wanted for nothing more than to drown himself in a tub of ice cream and a terrible TV show and he felt like he deserved that gratuity. He was running Hyperion along side Handsome freaking Jack and his work load had increased one hundred… no, one thousand-fold.

So his ideal night really wasn’t the sensory overload that he was in store for but he still agreed because the three of them hadn’t had the chance to spend any time with each other in at least half of a year – partly because the mess that Vasquez had caused for them but mainly because the three of them had all been so busy and their schedules almost always conflicted with one another.

Rhys had refused to leave his friends behind – immediately promoting both Yvette and Vaughn to the heads of their respective departments.

Maybe promoting his best friends was nepotism or maybe it spoke to him being just the tad bit corrupted, he was sure that rumors about it had been circulating through Helios like wildfire.

Rhys wasn’t sure that he cared much about all of that as productivity was higher than it had been for at least a year in both requisitions and accounting so Jack didn’t seem at all bothered by the executive decision that his counterpart made because it worked out perfectly for him.

“So this place is kinda new.” Vaughn spoke up, looking at Rhys with some interest. “We were hoping that it would be easier to get in with you…”

“Did you guys just use me to get in here?” The siren put on his best ‘disappointed parent’ voice as he regarded the group. “Oh. Of course you guys did. Why did I even ask?”

“Maaaaaybe.” Sasha abruptly interjected their exchange with. “But we also thought that you would want to go and show Fiona and me ‘the wonders of Helios’.” she used air quotes to accentuate the last part of her statement which Rhys and Vaughn weakly glared in kind to.

“I’m so, so tired.” Rhys whined, “I hate you all.” he added with less venom than he desired.

“Don’t be a baby!” Fiona retorted, much to the annoyance of the siren. “You survived Pandora and getting yourself shot – I think you can handle a club for a few hours.”

Rhys grumbled under his breath but didn’t protest any more – he figured he would stay for a few hours and then sneak back away to his penthouse, maybe he would do a little more work on tracking Gortys down before he inevitably passed out.

He made it a point to enjoy himself after all it was his presence that got them here and he would be lying if he said that the Helios employees – who had been cold with him more often than not before his ‘promotion’ happened – weren’t being delightful to him.

Buying him drinks, asking if they could dance with him, complimenting him to the point of excess… he liked the attention, surprisingly enough to himself. It was most definitely sucking up for the sake of sucking up but Rhys was happy to not have to pay a dime for a thing.

Still, he got a bad vibe from the whole thing – and that was saying something, considering that his senses had always been a bit skewed on whether or not he was in danger and he had managed to survive everything that had happened to him due to a mix of dumb luck and his innate cosmic powers.

He was proven right when the club got impossibly more crowded, he chalked it up to chance as he kept getting bumped to and fro around the place.

The bumping eventually got out of hand and ended up with Rhys falling halfway over the railing. It didn’t seem to him that there was much to do but allow himself to fall – no one seemed to notice him, it took longer than it should have for Rhys to realize that he had been tripped, he frowned and braced for impact on to the floor below.

He grimaced as he thought that he would probably come out of this with a twisted ankle. Before he could truly fall over the railing, someones hand thankfully caught him by the arm before he fell down on the ground and possibly hurt himself, he found himself being pulled back onto the floor and let out a sigh at this persons impeccable timing.

“Hey!” Rhys exclaimed in surprise as he looked at the man who helped him, “You’re that guy – well, one of those guys from Maliwan.”

This guy specifically had been pouring coffee and fetching things, obviously he wasn’t high up on the corporate ladder and to his credit, the Maliwan guy wasn’t bad looking either.

Though it brought the siren back to the fact that he couldn’t get over how everyone at that meeting had been unreasonably attractive even the usually stuffy and unattractive representative board members.

Did Maliwan refuse to hire people without head shots? Was it witchcraft? In any case it was something that just didn’t make any sense to him and probably never would.

“Yeah that’s me… well, it’s actually Grant.” The Maliwan rep corrected, “That’s my name I mean. Grant.”

Rhys smiled at that, he seemed just as green about this as he was. He liked that, having someone making him feel like he wasn’t the only person in the world that was uncomfortable with all of this diplomacy.

“Oh.” Rhys exclaimed shortly as he took the hand, just to be polite if nothing else. “Nice to meet you Grant, I’m Rhys.”

“I know.” Grant said, “The uh… I mean Handsome Jack said it a few times so I picked up on it.” he stammered, “Not like I was – so that meeting was… interesting, right?”

Rhys snorted at that, “Oh yeah, interesting, that’s a word for it.”

“Gotta say, what your boss did to my boss?” Grant joked, looking eager as all hell to change the subject, “Freaking hilarious. I mean I’ll totally deny it if you ask me or tell him that but he’s… such an ass!”

Rhys laughed, “That’s just Jacks’ natural state of being, don’t take it personal in any way.”

“Really?”

“He’s done things like that to employees,” Rhys replied, leaning forward a bit.

“Really!”

“That’s Hyperion for ya!” He joked, “I – I mean I love it but it’s definitely not for everyone.”

“Uh, can I – do you think I can buy you a drink? Would that be alright?” Grant asked and Rhys blinked a couple times in astonishment as he realized that Grant had been flirting with him.

Feeling a little stupid and somewhat ashamed at how dense he must have seemed, he hesitated for a moment to look back at the group he had come with. He noted quickly that the lot of them seemed fast pressed to stick together in the crowded club so he figured that it was safe enough to accept.

If Grant decided to put something in his drink then at the very least he had back up. “I… well, sure. Alright, that sounds great. Thank you.”

The moment that Grant had walked off another person walked towards Rhys and the siren was a little shocked to find that it was Handsome Jack, “Jack!” he exclaimed in his surprise, “You’re… here.”

But the older man was in no mood for pleasantries and opted to get straight and down to business.“You’re taking drinks from strangers, Rhysie?” he growled out with obvious distaste, “Come on babe, I know that you’re new to this but...really?”

Jack coming to the club that Rhys went to had been more of a coincidence then he would readily admit to because he didn’t enjoy the idea that he might not have been able to have eyes on the siren while he was so new to running Hyperion and had barely any way to defend himself.

And even if he wasn’t completely helpless – that didn’t mean that Jack wouldn’t have been irritated to see

It’s all that much worse because Rhys just doesn’t seem to get it. The siren doesn’t seem to understand what Jack wants of him, barely seems to accept that Jack likes him and actually enjoyed his company. It infuriated him how the one person whose attentions he actually wanted was so damn dense and thick when it came to figuring out those cues.

So, he was a little bit annoyed by Rhys talking to some low rung Maliwan representative – go fucking figure. This whole thing with his vice president was getting old and he wanted to get it through the kids head exactly what Jack wanted from him.

“Come on let’s go.” Jack said in a way that told Rhys that Jack might have the entire club shut down or worse if he didn’t comply. “I don’t feel like your safe here.” he added as an afterthought, lying through his teeth.

Rhys frowned in displeasure and disappointment – he had actually been enjoying his time talking to the Maliwan rep – but decided that it would be prudent to listen to Jack.

“Oh uh, where are you going?” Grant asked with a puzzled frown as he handed the siren the drink he had gotten him, watching in slight disappointment as Jack took the drink and dumped it out into a potted plant.

“Don’t give me that look, Rhysie. That could have been poisoned.” Jack stated, “I probably saved your life.”

Rhys mumbled, “I doubt it.” under his breath as he gave Grant an apologetic look. “I have to go… Jack needs me or something.”

“Was it something I said?” The Maliwan rep was definitely confused by all this and Rhys was hard pressed to give him an answer that wasn’t ‘Jack thinks you’re going to murder me’

“Oh no it’s not you! It’s really just that-”

“Shouldn’t matter to you why.” Jack spoke out, oddly calm as he looked at Rhys but with something in his eyes that gave the siren pause. “We’re leaving.”

Rhys immediately spoke out in protest but he only managed to get the word, “But-” out before he was rudely interrupted by his counterpart.

“We’re going Rhys.”

The siren shut his mouth at the mention of his given name – that just wasn’t the done thing for Jack, he barely acknowledged that Rhys’ name wasn’t ‘kitten’. He frowned nervously and allowed himself to be taken wherever Handsome Jack decided to drag him off.

* * *

If Rhys said that he expected Jack to practically drag him out of the club, practically ripping out his cybernetic arm with the amount of force he was displaying impressively enough and taking Rhys back to his penthouse while fuming the whole way then he would be lying through his teeth.

Because, truthfully this whole situation was completely uncharted territory to him – he had never been dragged out of a club by anyone, hell he had never even been dragged out of a library by anyone.

Rhys had avoided sexual contact like the plague – he had had one girlfriend when he was in college and it almost ended in him being dragged off to a scientific facility.

Thankfully no one had believed Stacey so he came out of it alive and not captured but it had been terrifying of an ordeal that Rhys swore off dating until he was untouchable in the ranks of Hyperion.

Before he even realized it, Rhys was backed against a wall while Jack kissed him hard. “You are so frustrating.” Jack growled out, fumbling with the buttons of Rhys’ brand new suit. Against his own volition, Rhys hoped that Jack wouldn’t destroy his suit in the process.

“With your fucking stupid – cute face and your fucking cute – stupid – cute ass and your goddamn snarky attitude and your fucking loyal – stupid, cute… agh!” Jack moved back down to kiss and bite at his mouth and neck. “It’s sooooo fucking frustrating!”

“Jack you’re not making any-” Rhys cut himself off with a startled cry that melted into mortification as Jack had just bit – and really bit, like with teeth meant to kill, down on his neck. It was sure to leave a mark that he would have to labor over explaining for at least a month.

“Do you still not get it?” Jack snapped with an incredulous tone in between bites and kisses, there was a predatory look in Jacks’ eyes and Rhys was very much beginning to feel like he was prey.

Though he couldn’t bring himself to do much about it, it seemed as though he was stuck in a pseudo paralytic state as Jack devoured his neck, murmuring praise and insults all in the same row.

“No…?” Rhys replied stupidly as Jack attacked his neck again, lips and teeth running the sensitive skin red and raw.

“Yeah,” Jack scoffed, “Of fucking course you don’t get it.” he kissed Rhys again, almost angrily in his fervor and movements. “Why the fuck is it you?”

“I – I’m not sure?” the younger man replied in a confused and concerned tone, “J-jack are you, oka- ah!”

“Quiet Rhysie.” Jack growled in his ear as he squeezed the younger mans ass – alternating between squeezing and kneading at the soft flesh, the siren found that he really liked that.

Rhys had no idea how he had ended up sitting on Handsome Jacks’ lap in the middle of their kissing – he whined, too aroused to really think about everything that had transpired in the last twenty four hours and took to grinding his clothed cock against the older mans own groin.

The two of them moved together like that for some time. Grinding and groaning with Jack occasionally spouting out some insult or praise.

Rhys was mortified as he realized that he had just come in his pants – in front of his idol. He looked at Jack like the man had already noticed the humiliating action but Jack either didn’t seem to notice or care as he kept rutting and kissing at Rhys’ skin.

“Oh – oh, Jack oh god!” he whined out as he rode the aftershocks of his orgasm out.

“Just Jack is fine, baby.”

He guessed that Jack had been done with him when he slowed down to a stop, pulling back from the young man and looking at him with a pleased expression – like he had sufficiently marked his territory and he could finally relax.

“I should probably go-” Rhys started only to be cut off by Jack gripping him around the waist a little tighter. He wanted to say something to the older man but felt a little jarred by the uncharacteristic silence. “Jack?” he asked, feeling anxious and frightened.

“Yeah, not gonna happen babe,” Jack answered his unasked questions with that statement as best as he was able to, “I’m keeping you right here with me tonight.”

Rhys noticed that the older man continued to drag his fingers against his blue tattoos, grinning with amusement in the way that they flickered in an almost playful way. “I got something important happening tomorrow and I can’t have you acting all stupid and...you.”

Rhys ignored the backhanded insult and opted to try for a little more information, “Why? Is something happening tomorrow?” he asked, “You know, other than running this multi-billion dollar company I guess.” he giggled nervously.

“Yeah, I got someone for you to meet – hopefully it’ll help you control you’re powers.” Jack replied, his hand now moving against Rhys’ collarbone and dragging up against his Adam’s Apple. “A siren.”

A part of Rhys thought that he should be upset that Jack had been going behind his back like this, as trivial as it was he really didn’t like it when people acted dishonestly, he supposed that there weren’t any real downfalls to the Hyperion president not letting him know until the time was right.

“No more thinking, cupcake.” Jack muttered in a stern tone, “We’re gonna get cleaned up and then you’re getting some sleep.”

“You want me to stay?” Rhys reiterated, feeling as though he was having a sleep deprivation caused psychotic break. “like – you actually want me to stay?” he repeated stupidly.

“Yeah?” Jack replied, looking at Rhys like his head was on upside down. “Of course I want you to stay.” he added in a tone that sounded even more incredulous than before.

Rhys might have believed him outright but it felt like some kind of cruel prank that Jack wanted to play on him and he had had enough cruel jokes at his expense to know when someone was trying to humiliate him.

“I can’t.” Rhys replied, wanting to get as far away as possible – his instincts were screaming at him to run and he wished that he could easily oblige them.

“Yeah and why the hell not, kiddo?”

“I need new clothes.” Rhys protested feebly, “what am I gonna do without any clothes? I mean…” he trailed off, his own embarrassment around the whole situation had him feeling like even more of a flustered fan boy than usual.

“I’ll have Meg send some up.” Jack retorted, arching an incredulous brow at the younger man, “What were you gonna do? Run to your apartment with your cum stained pants?” and upon Rhys’ telling expression he added, “Jesus kitten, you really do need someone to take care of you.”

“I – I do not.” Rhys stammered out, looking at anything but the man in front of him until Jack grabbed his face and turned it towards his own. “I’m just… I don’t need anyone to take care of me – I, I can take perfectly good care of myself.”

Jack snorted, “Come on kitten, let’s get you cleaned up.” he said, grabbing a hold of Rhys’ waist and directing him towards his bathroom.

“Seeing as how you can take perfectly good care of yourself, I’ll just leave you in here on your own. I got another bathroom down the hall to take care of my own grossness,” Jack stated, “Try not to drown yourself in the tub, alright baby boy?”

“Yeah well you-” Rhys started, only to find that Jack wasn’t there. He frowned as he realized that the older man truly intended to leave him where he was before shrugging and getting his dirty clothes off of himself as he waited for the bath water to run so he could properly clean himself.

“Asshole.” Rhys grumbled to himself as he settled down in the steaming hot water and lathered himself with the over expensive soaps. After enough irritated mumbling to himself and working to get himself clean he stepped out of the tub, careful not to slip and looked on the counter to see that Jack had gotten Meg to fetch him some clean clothes from his apartment.

He was quick to dry himself off, get the laundered clothes on and walk around the penthouse until he found the room that Jack was laying in – the older man lay on his back and fiddling with an ECHO tablet.

“Hi.” he mumbled to Jack, “Thanks for the… well you know.”

“Yeah, it took ya long enough.” The older man hummed meanly as he put the device away. “What? Did you fall asleep in there?”

“Sorry.” Rhys apologized quietly, “Do you want me to sleep here with you?” he asked in a hopeful tone.

“Get over here, cupcake.” Jack ordered him and Rhys got onto the bed and allowed himself to be grabbed and pulled closer and closer to Jack. He lay his head against the older mans’ chest and smiled because he was grateful for the chaste contact – otherwise Rhys may have been panicking over what would happen when he started working on his powers.

Because he had to accept that this would be happening – he needed to keep being useful to Jack, it kept him alive and in the position on Helios that he was. Truthfully, if Jack wanted him to control his siren powers – it was going to be what happened and there was nothing that could be done about it.

And maybe, just maybe – having control over his abilities might actually work out to his own benefit instead of being this thing that hung over his head and had him feeling paranoid about the inevitable deaths of everyone around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love jealousy tropes lmao these two deserve each other


	7. Unexpected Outcomes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack: hey, listen i think your cute and like you.
> 
> Rhys: okay....sounds fake but... okay.

Rhys stood stock still with fascination as he raptly watched the blue haired siren be ‘escorted’ in to the room that he – along with Jack, who had insisted that he supervise in case The Crimson Raiders were staging some sort of bizarre assassination attempt – occupied.

The male siren had been given clothing more suitable to combat training – it was styled like a tank top done up with a Hyperion logo and colors, form fitting black pants and a pair of lace up boots that were styled somewhat like his Skag skin ones but built for more practicality.

The idea that he needed to have his siren tattoos exposed to properly use them seemed absurd as all hell, but for all his grumblings to the contrary – the sentiment seemed to ring true, strange as it was.

When he had been held captive in that facility, any time that both the collar had been disengaged and his tattoos were shown was the only occasion that he had full range of his abilities.

When he scared the life out of that night guard to get Fiona and Sasha out they had been exposed and when he had destroyed that counter top after Jack had antagonized him at the Happy Pig Motel they had been exposed. Every single time that he had used his abilities it seemed and if they were covered, it was almost as if the light flickered out of them as if they were a smothered fire.

Rhys frowned and turned his attention towards the blue haired siren – he had heard about her, about how she had taken part in Jacks’ first “death” and that was reason enough to be wary of her. He knew that Jack didn’t trust her.

Why would he? Even Rhys – who was more than willing to give most people a second, third or fourth chance to change – could see that the idea of a vault hunter switching sides and volunteering to work with Handsome Jack was more than a little suspicious.

He knew that any moment she could try to kill them – which was why Jack was in the room with a few combat engineers, supervising. It also explained why Maya wasn’t allowed any guns – nevertheless, Rhys tried to remain at least somewhat optimistic as he observed her. He didn’t know her well enough to judge her and for all he knew, she could be sincere in her motives and Jack watching her like a hawk would achieve nothing but annoying her and impeded on Rhys’ training.

He pursed his lips and looked at her face as she drew in closer – the first thing he noticed about her, other than her wildly colored hair, was that she had these intelligent looking eyes that seemed like they were dressing him down from the moment that she laid eyes upon him. He bit his lip in response and looked down, already feeling so uncomfortable that he was fighting the urge to shrink and hide.

He also noticed large constricting cuffs wrapped around her wrists and halfway up her forearms. She looked at the guard escorting her with distaste. “Is this really necessary?” she asked, “I came here willingly. I’m not gonna murder anyone or try to escape, that would just be stupid.”

Rhys snorted at that and turned his attention towards Handsome Jack, who neared closer and closer to the siren until one of his arms were braced around Rhys’ shoulder. The siren jumped at the contact and looked at the man with a puzzled expression. He doesn’t know why he was so shocked that Jack decided to touch him – it wasn’t like it was new.

Even before… whatever had happened between the two of them the night before, Jack seemed to always have his hands on some part of Rhys and though he hadn’t put too much thought into it at the time now Rhys wondered if Jack was claiming him or something like that. Like he was exuding a signal whenever he was around Rhys that said, ‘keep your hands off of him or I’ll send you through an airlock.’

“Yeah, not gonna happen.” Jack answered Maya in a sharp tone, “If I weren’t so desperate for someone to help Rhysie here,” he jabbed a finger in Rhys’ direction, accidentally on purpose poking the younger man in the side as he did so. Rhys narrowed his eyes at Jack, but it wasn’t paid attention to as he kept rambling to the blue haired siren. “Maybe, some point in the distant as hell future I’ll trust ya but for now…” he clicked his tongue, “You get an escort.” Jack added as he gestured towards the guards.

Rhys shrugged, “Could be worse. At least you got an apartment.” he acquiesced, but then narrowed his eyes with potential alarm. “He got you an apartment right? I told him to get you one and if Jack pulls the same crap that he did with Fiona and Sasha I swear to god that I’ll-”

“You’ll do what, Rhysie?” Jack murmured into the sirens’ ear – much to his amusement, making Rhys jump back and make a sound that reminding him of a bitten down shriek – the moment that the auburn haired siren had forgotten about his presence. “Pout at me to death?”

Jack looked at the siren with mock curiosity as Rhys continued to glare daggers at him, his expression completely sour and distasteful. “You. Are. The. Worst. Why do you always sneak up on me like that?” the siren protested, probably coming off as much less biting than he wished to sound. “Please tell me that you got her an apartment.” he asked in a hopeful, needy tone.

The older man looked ready to say something else biting to him, before he thought better of it. He tucked a stray hair behind Rhys’ ear – because Jack liked to use intimacy, or at least a mockery of it, to throw Rhys off but it always worked on him. Rhys was sure there was nothing else to it – and soothed back the sirens’ auburn hair before he said, “Yeah, I got the mass murdering vault hunter a decent place to sleep. It’s got pretty heavy surveillance, you know, for obvious reasons.”

Rhys pulled a face at that but opted not to comment on it, if surveillance kept Jack from air locking Maya on sight or throwing her in a prison cell then he was fine with it. If only for the reason that they would have a helluva time trying to find another siren to help them.  
More than that, he doubted she would be in the mood to help them if she had to spend more than an hour in one of those dank, uncomfortable cells.

Maya walked towards the two of them, her work boots clicking on the floor as she did so, and cocked her head to the side with moderate interest as she waited for the two of them to stop bickering and address her so they could get this whole thing started.

Rhys noticed her first, giving her an apologetic look as he opened his mouth to speak, “Should we start?” he asked in a weak tone.

“Yes, of course.” The blue haired siren agreed in an amiable tone. “Come with me.”

Rhys followed on her coattails to the middle of the expansive training room, feeling more lost than he did his first day working on Helios. He was completely out of his element and it very clearly showed to the other two that occupied the room.

“I’ll be watching you two.” Jack reminded her in a flippant, ‘I’m making it very obvious that I don’t trust you’ tone.

“I think that you’re gonna be bored, watching us,” Maya stated, giving Handsome Jack a cursory look, all the while wondering just how protective he was of Rhys. “These things take time.”

Jack didn’t know whether or not he could take her word on that – but it didn’t matter either way, he was going to have to stay here and keep watch just in case the bandits on Pandora had sent the blue haired siren on a suicide mission.

Despite himself and his own malignant paranoia, he really hoped that Rhys’ optimism was well founded and that this was the one and only time that he was wrong when it came to at the very least, this Vault Hunter.

Rhys bounced on his heels nervously as he stood adjacent to Maya, deciding to mirror the other sirens movements until he had a clue as to whatever the hell he was supposed to even be doing. He was more than a little shocked when Maya sat herself on the floor cross legged. He opened and closed his mouth a few times as he tried to figure out what he should say, “Um, Maya?” he asked in a cautious tone, his voice came out slightly squeaky and he internally cursed himself.

“Yes?”

“What am I supposed to be doing?”

“We’re meditating.” Maya responded in an even tone before returning to her silent contemplation.

“Meditating?” Rhys asked, looking at her as if he must have confused what she said. He did not. “Wait, you’re serious. Meditating?”

“Meditating.” She affirmed quickly, looking directly at Rhys with a no nonsense sort of expression. She sighed with mild exasperation before she spoke, “Look, I can tell that you’re pretty wound up and scared, right?” she asked rhetorically, “You- we’re not going to be able to get anything done with you like this.”

That was only a half-truth but Maya didn’t exactly understand how she would be able to explain to Rhys that she thought he was repressing his powers without coming off insultingly. She had barely even known the kid for even an hour but she could already tell that Rhys was the type of person that avoided most of the things that bothered him.

You couldn’t go and bottle your emotions up like that with the kind of power both of them held brewing in their veins. All of that potential energy was bound to explode and, frankly, she was surprised that Rhys hadn’t ended up exploding and taking the whole space station with him.

Ignorant to her thoughts on him, Rhys’ lips quirked up in a half-smile – the idea seemed more than a little absurd to him but he decided that Maya probably knew much more about all of this… cosmic power business than he could ever hope to be able to understand.

Honestly, Rhys was just happy about having someone with half of a clue as to what he should do with himself.

He gave one quick glance to Jack, who had been watching them from the other side of the room, before he closed his eyes and joined along with her in meditation.

If someone had told you that Jack had been just a little underwhelmed to see Rhys and a siren with a two million dollar bounty being their training by way of meditating, then that would be a wild misunderstanding, as well as an underestimation, of everything that had been going through his head.

He watched the two sirens with a detached sort of fascination. Meditating, that was… huh. Interesting. Jack supposed that it might work – or it was a bull shit distraction tactic and she was just trying to buy herself some time for her to contact her bandit friends about him.

Jack didn’t trust her – actually, he couldn’t trust her even if he had tried to. The idea of a vault hunter coming up out of the blue to help them, even if he was the one that had put up a bounty for them to help Rhys, was just absurd to him and he had a hard time believing that one would go and pull a one-eighty out of the blue and work for Hyperion. The whole thing seemed like a set up to him and the blue haired siren was going to have to do a lot more work to gain _his_ trust.

* * *

  
When the training session had ended, Jack had pulled Rhys out of the room after giving instructions to the guards in the room to escort Maya back to her apartment. Jack looked over at Rhys, the young siren seemed to be in somewhat of a trance. “Hey Pumpkin.” he said, more amenable than he was usually known to be, “How'd the training sesh go?"

“We were just meditating.” The siren replied in a shy tone. “It’s not like I’m suddenly going to become a bad ass or anything…”

“Yeah,” The older man affirmed, “I noticed,” he added, referring to the meditation. He was still pretty sure that it was a diversion tactic but he had no grounds for it so he sat on the accusation for the moment. “But I think you’ll be a bonafide bad ass soon enough.”

“You, uh, cut off the meeting a little short.” Rhys pointed out, giving the older man a look that asked a question without saying any words. Luckily, Jack understood what Rhys was trying to communicate and answered him plainly.

“I got bored.” he lied easily, “You two were just sittin’ there doing nothing for three hours. Figure that we got better uses of our time, that’s why we’re going somewhere. You and me.” Rhys pretended not to notice the way that Jacks’ eyes darkened when he said, ‘you and me.’

Rhys looked at Jack with a fixed and curious gaze, he wasn’t all that sure that Jack was telling him the truth about why he had cut off the meeting with Maya, but he wasn’t all that invested in knowing either way.

Not when there were more interesting things for them to talk about, “So… you want to take me somewhere?” he asked, a genuine curiosity in his tone. “I’m assuming this is something Hyperion related so if you could just give me-”

Jack looked at Rhys as if he asked for Dahl merchandise as his mercenary day present, “No.” he said and just a bit too firmly, if the shell shocked look that Rhys gave him could be taken seriously. “Shit- I mean it’s not Hyperion related.”

“Oh,” The siren replied dumbly, “Then what are you-”

“I’m taking you out.” Jack reiterated and finally Rhys understood and he became a little less slack jawed. He was still shocked that Jack might have any sort of interest in him besides a partially satisfying orgasm and messed up pants. It just… didn’t make sense to him.

“Why?”

“Because I like you.” Jack was practically seething in frustration. Because, of course this pretty little idiot just doesn’t get it. He doesn’t particularly understand it himself but he knows this much – he wants Rhys and he knows that Rhys wants him, even if the siren adamantly to acknowledge it. “Jesus, kitten, you’re lucky you got your looks.”

“But why?” Rhys repeated, “I thought that you dated supermodels and,” he giggled nervously, the sound coming off choked out and uncomfortable. “million dollar brothel owners and sexy cowgirls, I just don’t get how you’d go from that to a socially awkward, half-blind one-armed siren that doesn’t even know how to use his powers. Which, by the way, is supposed to be natural! So, forgive me for not understanding why you would-”

Then Jack kissed him, quickly having Rhys forget all of the conflicting thoughts going on in his head. Rhys forgot to breathe for a moment and stock still with his eyes wide open for just a second until he let his eyes flutter closed and allowed himself to enjoy the contact.

Jack pulled away, eliciting a disappointed whimper from the siren as he did so, and gave Rhys a look of sheer disbelief and dissappointment. “You are so fucking difficult, you know that right?” he said, in a more biting tone than he had meant it to come out as.

“I’m not being difficult.” Rhys stated petulantly, his glare was practically burning holes in the older man as he spoke. “I just… are you messing with me or something?” he looked at Jack with suspicion. It wasn’t like it would be out of character for him, Jack did practically nothing but screw with him on Pandora and even now he still made fun of Rhys more often then not. “It seemed like we were barely friendly and that was fine but then you did that thing with me out of nowhere last night and… I dunno, it just feels like some kind of a practical joke.”

“Okay, you’re right.” Jack agreed, surprising Rhys for a moment before the older man continued on with his statement, “You’re being stupid and insecure.” he moved in closer and Rhys realized that Jack was just a little bit taller than him.

Like an idiot, he blushed at the sentiment of that. “Which is even worse. Because, honestly Rhys. You’re gorgeous, you’re capable and you actually seem to be a decent person.” Jack pulled out compliments for Rhys, like they were a laundry list. “I’d have to be a freaking idiot not to want you and we both know that I’m not.”

Jack had him boxed in by the time he finished speaking and Rhys was bewildered as to how that had even happened. “No,” Rhys agreed numbly, almost feeling hypnotized by the pretty words that Jack told him. “You’re not.”

Rhys wasn’t sure how this would work out and he wasn’t entirely convinced but he didn’t want to miss out if Jack was being truthful. So he followed along where Jack led him, feeling not unlike a lamb being led to the slaughter.

* * *

Rhys always thought that he was kind of a pushy person – a well known flaw of his that he would never put any effort into changing – but he had nothing on the presumptive powers of Handsome Jack. Apparently, the older man had already booked everything ahead with the idea that Rhys would just jump on the opportunity to go on a date with his hero.

The man had such an ego about himself – although, Rhys could attest to those feelings being at least somewhat well founded – that Rhys was seriously reconsidering his years of naive fan boy idolization of the older man.

Though, considering the place that Jack had taken him – he supposed he had to take all of the positives into consideration as well. Like the fact that Jack had apparently rented out one of the fancy ice creameries on a Helios substation that Rhys wouldn’t have been allowed to step foot on, even just to clean the floors, before he got his promotion and all the perks that came along with it.

“Princess.” Jack called, snapping Rhys out of his thoughts. He looked over at the older man as Jack squeezed his shoulder in a reassuring manner. “You can go in.” he said with a chuckle, “It’s just an ice cream shoppe. It’s not gonna bite ya.” Jack placed his hand on the small of Rhys’ back and gently nudged him inside.

The siren giggled nervously in response to that, “Oh yeah,” he said stupidly, “Right.” he added as he stepped into the threshold of the shop. The place was self-serve – at least while Jack had control of it for the day – so the two of them just got their separate dishes and sat down.

“You didn’t get any ice cream.” Rhys pointed out, eliciting a surprised laugh from the older man,“Yeah, I’m not really into sweets.” Jack affirmed, looking at the siren with fond sort of look. He blamed it on the fact that the two of them were linked but deep down he wasn’t sure that that was all of it.

The sundae that Rhys had made had been piled high with loads of different things and topped off with a mountain of whipped cream. It looked disgustingly rich and overpowering to him but Rhys seemed to be happy enough with it and ate away at the dessert with vigor.

Rhys smiled at him and – it should not have been cute, he should not have considered this lanky, socially awkward nerd smiling at him with whipped cream on the corner of his lips to be cute… but he did.

Jack frowned and leaned across the table until his face was inches away from Rhys’, “You gotta a little,” he mumbled, before wiping away the mess off the younger mans mouth. The siren had a stupid expression on his face that for some reason Jack found that he really liked and he couldn’t help but press a kiss to the same spot.

He moved back into his seat and smirked glibly, “There. Got it.” he stated in a confident tone that belied his own uneasy feelings about why he even did something like that. Something so, cutesy and sweet – like he was some kind of lovesick, stupid teenager.

Luckily, his larger than life image was preserved because Rhys was wrapped up in his own worries.

Rhys let out a soft and pathetic noise – much to Jacks’ bemusement and humor – as he crossed his arms over his chest, trying to make himself just the tiniest bit smaller and more unnoticeable to the, probably, biting judgment of his idol. Jack noticed Rhys’ discomfort – because he made it his business to know all the ins and outs of the pretty siren sitting across from him – and placed his hand over the younger mans own.

The siren looked at Jack quizzically, though he was a little more soothed than he had been just a moment before. He worried his lower lip nervously, “Uh, sorry about… me I guess.” he apologized quietly, “I guess I’m just new to this. All of this.”

Jack looked at him strangely, watching Rhys blush and stammer as he tried to explain what he was thinking. “All of this?” he parroted, becoming more and more curious as to what the younger man was thinking. “The hell are you talking about?”

Rhys shook his head, trying to explain everything going on in his head. “I got teased a lot, for…” he shrugged, “A lot of things I guess, so I never really had the opportunity to get a boyfriend or girlfriend until I was in college.” he admitted, “But, um, I never really… did anything with anyone? I mean, I kissed people but I never really…”

“Oh.” Jack exclaimed, “So what you’re tryin’ to tell me is that you’re a shy little virgin and you’re nervous because it’s me. And I’m awesome. So no one would blame you.”

“Well I wouldn’t exactly word it like that…” Rhys protested, though he was sure that they fell on deaf ears as Jack continued rambling on.

“… but I mean I’m not gonna hold it against you, kiddo.” The older man affirmed, “I mean I figured that you were a virgin when I met you anyway. So it’s not like I’m surprised and, if it makes you feel better, I don’t really have a problem with it.” Jack looked at him with an impish grin besetting his features. “That’s what you were all worked up about? Really? Kitten, I don’t give a damn about that.”

Jack was having a lot of fun getting Rhys more and more flustered with the conversation, the siren was so cute when he was blushing and babbling like an idiot. Having no idea what he should do, Rhys pulled up his echo and looked at the clock. “Oh! Look at the time,” he exclaimed, “I really should get going I have a… thing with Vaughn.”

“Really?” Jack sounded nonplussed as he questioned Rhys, “A ‘thing’.”

“Yes! And it’s… really important so I have to go now!”

Jack stood up, “Alright. If you say so.” he said in a bored tone before grabbing a hold of Rhys’ arm. The siren looked at him in surprise as he was pulled to a stand. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“I was going to walk you home.” Jack replied in a tone that said, ‘what you said was really stupid.’

“You don’t have to do that.” The younger man dismissed easily, “I can get home myself.”

“I know I don’t have to.” Jack replied, “but I want to.”

Rhys found himself drawn to that and he allowed Jack to escort him back to his apartment, feeling weirdly cared for during the entire walk. It was a small thing, but it was unexpected and… nice of Jack to do for him.

It wasn’t long before they were at Rhys’ door, “Alright…” he said, “This is me… I guess I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah,” The older man affirmed before pulling Rhys in close for a moment. The chaste embrace was comforting to the siren and he showed it by leaning into the touch and making happy noises as he was held. Jack pulled back after a moment and pressed a kiss to the top of the sirens head – he pretended to not notice the slight flicker of Rhys’ tattoos for the moment as he smoothed some of Rhys’ hair back.

“Jack?”

“Stay safe, princess.” was all Jack said before he turned away and made for his own home. Rhys felt so many different, conflicting emotions about everything that had happened all that day. He opened his door, ready to curl up on his bed and maybe play some games before he promptly passed out.

That, of course, didn’t work out for him as he saw all of the people that he was close with to be sitting in his apartment – apparently waiting for his return. That was strange enough, but what was even stranger were the first words he heard from them, coming from Fiona, “We need to talk about Gortys.”


	8. Ups And Downs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys uses his powers successfully for the first time in forever and Jack tells him some information about Yvette that he doesn't like. This chapters pretty shippy TBH

Rhys was flabbergasted for a moment, Gortys hadn’t been on his radar for a bit – he had more things to deal with than anyone else in this room and it didn’t help matters for him with how much things had gotten muddled up together; with Jack, with Maya, with running Hyperion and with training himself to be a capable siren he hadn’t really gotten the chance to think about the vault. “Wait, Gortys?” he said in a way that almost seemed like he was remembering her again for the first time in months. “What did she- did you find her? Did she find you? Do you know where she is, because if you do-”

In that moment Fiona decided to cut him off, “Slow down killer,” she quipped, holding her hands up in mock surrender, “We need to talk about Gortys because we might…” she trailed off, trying to find a way to put things delicately for Rhys. She sighed, “…have an idea of where she is, but that’s just where her location was,” she pulled a face, “transmitted, or whatever. I’ve been working with a few nerds-”

“Programmers?” Rhys interrupted, a somewhat offended look on her face. “Is that what you meant?” he asked and she sighed in annoyance, “Yeah, sure, whatever. Let’s say I meant ‘programmers’.” She said, using air quotes as she said the word ‘programmers’. He rolled his eyes at that but let her go wherever she wanted to with this… even though he could tell he was already lost to her point.

“Anyways,” She went on, trying to explain everything concisely. “The programmers think they might have found Gortys using computer magic-” Rhys scoffed at that, “It’s not magic! It’s actually very simple if you bothered to learn anything about it.” he whispered, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear clearly.

“Rhys, if you interrupt me one more time I will shoot you in the knee cap.” she threatened the siren before she said anything else. The siren pouted and grumbled a little under his breath but decidedly said nothing else, “Alright, so apparently Gortys – or her signal – is stuck deep in the Eridium Blight.”

Sasha’s expression was mortified, “How did she even get out there?” she asked, “That’s not even remotely close to where we were.” Fiona shrugged at that, “I’unno.” she helpfully supplied, “But that’s where she is and we have to figure out a way to get her… or not.”

“That’s bad right?” Rhys asked and then when they practically refused to acknowledge him, “Yeah, it’s probably going to be awful…” he said, with a bit of a shrug and more than passive acceptance that they had moved on to actively ignoring him.

Thankfully, Vaughn picked up where Rhys had left off, “Why would Gortys being in the Eridium Blight – wherever that is, neither of us have heard of it – be a problem?” he asked, looking at the two con artists for answers that they might have not even had in the first place.

Sasha sighed, like she thought that Vaughn was just an idiot. “It’s dangerous there and it’s hard to get to, insanely hard.” she explained to the two company men, “It’s where the vault was. The one that Handsome Jack opened?” Rhys’ eyes widened a bit in realization and she nodded, “Yeah, that one Rhys.” She agreed, “No one has gone there, except for Vault Hunters and we are not real Vault Hunters. I mean, Fi didn’t train with Athena for a long enough time to actually take in any knowledge, Rhys can barely even shoot a gun, Vaughn’s strange buffness is practically useless!”

“What about you?” Rhys questioned, arching a brow at her as he spoke. Sasha scoffed at him, “Who, me?” she quipped in reply before she grinned with a bit of feigned superiority, “I think I’m actually the most competent one here. It goes; me, then Fiona, then Vaughn, then everyone else and then Rhys.”

“Wow. Congratulations, Sasha.” Rhys said, tone full of venom. “You managed to alienate everyone in the room.” The siren added before he gave her a withering look and a sigh before he turned towards Fiona, “So, what if Gortys is gone?” he asked and she looked at him incredulously, “What would happen then?”

All of them were silent together, a rare thing that happened between them, as they thought of the implications of that. Best case scenario they were all stuck together on Helios until they were able to come up with the location of a vault – any vault – and devised a way to open it.

Worst case scenario… none of them were sure on what happened other than the responsibility of it all could very well fall on Rhys – he was a siren and by that measure he was inherently connected with the Eridians and the vaults that they inhabited.

If Rhys hadn’t become so buddy – buddy with Handsome Jack in the months since he was brought back to life, then Fiona and Sasha might worry about their lives being endangered as they were all stuck on this fish bowl of a space station. However, Rhys seemed to have some sort of strange pull with Hyperion CEO. Jack liked him, Rhys’ presence seemed to relax him a little and on very special occasions he might actually decide to listen to the siren – so that meant that they probably weren’t going to be murdered by combat engineers or thrown out of an air lock by Handsome Jack himself.

“We’ll all worry about that if it happens,” Fiona replied, more than a little bit taken aback by Rhys’ suddenly sober attitude. “For now, we have to think about how we’re going to get to the blight.” she said, decidedly taking control of the situation. “Because that’s the most important thing, right?”

“I c-can probably ask Jack about sending some people down with us…” Rhys suggested, so quiet that he wouldn’t have been surprised if none of them heard him. Surprisingly enough, they did and the looks on their faces weren’t all that encouraging. “You know, like combat engineers or loader bots? Something like that, so we aren’t running in blind.” he added with a little shrug, “He loves vaults more than anything else… so, you know, he’ll probably say yes.”

“Wasn’t he just outside?” Vaughn asked, receiving a glare from Rhys in response. “I’m just saying that I saw him…” the accounted defended himself, “I mean, he was right outside and I saw him. Did he walk you home or something?” he asked with legitimate curiosity. “Why was he out there?”

Rhys hesitated to answer, unsure if he should say anything while Fiona and Sasha were there, if only because they just happened to be pretty judgey of Rhys’ life choices, “I… well, um, well it’s just that Jack took me to-”

“Oh,” Sasha exclaimed, “So he took you out on a date. That’s what you’re saying, right?” she asked, staring Rhys down as he spoke. The siren opened his mouth and closed it in his nervousness, still unsure whether or not he should say anything. “… Yes.” he finally admitted, “If you must know, he took me out on a date. We went to an ice cream parlor, he rented it out for the day so we could have some privacy, we talked…and it was actually kind of- really nice.”

Sasha laughed triumphantly, “Pay up, Fi. I told you this would happen.” She said, holding her hand out mockingly. Fiona rolled her eyes, “Of course,” she said, “I’ll get it to you when Jack gets around to paying me.” She snapped. Rhys was equally surprised but for very different reasons, “Wait, you guys bet on me?” he asked and then pulled a face of realization. “Why am I surprised? You guys are con artists, of course you made a bet about this.” Rhys pouted in disappointment at them.

When it came back to Gortys, Rhys would inevitably tell Jack about what had transpired later in the same day. He figured that the older man might be able to send down a small armada so that they could retrieve her safely and hold her in safe keeping until they were all sure that they were prepared to take on the vault.

* * *

  
After the first training session that Rhys had with Maya – which as far as Jack was concerned was a trial run, although he wasn’t exactly sure what he would have done if Maya hadn’t worked out – Jack had decided that Rhys should have siren training sessions twice a day, to develop his powers. He had also decided that he would supervise – to make sure that Rhys was safe, that Maya wasn’t going to pull any sort of tricks on the amber haired siren – the whole time.

Jack looked over at Rhys – the siren bouncing on his heels with either excitement or agitation, he couldn’t tell – as he stood opposite Maya. He couldn’t help but snicker at the display, because it was cute… and Rhys was cute. Jack was still shocked that ‘cute’ was something that he would be interested in, he didn’t think that ‘cute’ would still be something that crossed on his radar. Apparently, he had found out in the weeks previous, it was something that he was interested in. At least, it was if it came in the form of an auburn haired siren with legs for days and an unhealthy ice cream obsession.

She had told Rhys to try using his abilities and after a bit of a long winded pep talk, Rhys had agreed and convinced himself to be happy about it. The blue haired siren trained her features into something strict and professional, “Okay, stand with your heels shoulder width apart.” she instructed and as Rhys quickly obeyed her, “Alright… try to focus all of your energy and see what happens.” she said and when the auburn haired siren opened his mouth to say something, “Don’t think about it, Rhys, just do it.” she added, resolutely not giving him a chance to worry on it.

Rhys nodded minutely, knowing that trying not to think about things wasn’t something that was easy for him. He overthought most problems that he had, but especially when they had to do with him being a siren. “Um, okay… I’ll try.” he said, before he took in a deep breath.

To say that he was terrified about what might happen when he finally accessed his powers would be an understatement, he was far past terrified. He was petrified and anxious about it to the point that he wouldn’t have been surprised at himself if he – over dramatically – crumpled into a heap and refused to do anything ever again. He couldn’t do that though so he clenched his fists, cleared his mind and took a deep breath.

He hadn’t expected the gathering of his powers to feel like it was pulling him, and everything around him, and he hadn’t expected the force that it pushed out. Moving completely on instinct, he quickly pushed his fingertips outwards – towards a part of the room that no one was occupying.

The end result was overwhelming to the male siren, but empowering all at the same time – his entire body lifted until he was just barely off of the ground, while large expansive yet strangely intangible wings formed and wrapped around him – almost protectively – before they burst open and spread out wide. Jack watched in unconstrained interest as the picture that Rhys made was gorgeous looking.

The blast that Rhys gave out was blindingly white and composed of pure kinetic energy, it pushed forward towards the empty part of the room quicker than any of them would have been able to see and pulled everything in the surrounding area towards it until everything was pinched close together and exploded on impact. Rhys was just glad that he didn’t accidentally aim towards a crate of grenades.

When Rhys crumpled down onto the ground, completely exhausted from the blast and surprised by exactly how much using his abilities had taken out of him, Jack was over to his side in an instant. Rhys was surprised by that too and he lazily turned his head towards the older man as Jack supported him in his arms, “Hey…” he said, voice rough sounding yet timid. “You’re quick.”

“Hey, kiddo.” Jack murmured as he helped him up, “That was intense. You alright?” he asked, genuinely concerned for the siren. Rhys was dazed for a few minutes before he was able to speak to the older man, “Yeah, I’m fine.” Rhys dismissed as he stood up on his feet, Jack hovering behind him just in case he fell back or passed out. “You sure about that?” the older man asked of him and Rhys nodded with a lethargic sort of eagerness. “I’m better than fine.” Rhys said, and at Jacks’ look of confusion he couldn’t help but ramble a bit.

“I, I did the thing with the thing and it made everything go-” Rhys beamed at the older man, “Did you see that? It was freaking amazing!” he exclaimed, feeling so giddy and bubbly about the situation that Jack almost found it infectious. “I mean, I know it-” he sighed out a little, “It wasn’t much, but I thought it might be… I don’t know, I was scared that I would destroy the space station or, or, I don’t know!” the siren giggled excitedly – anxiety and happiness and surprise bubbling within him all at the same time. “But this time I didn’t! I didn’t wreck anything or accidentally kill anyone and I don’t feel so…” Rhys trailed off as Jack put his hands on the sirens hips and pulled the siren to him, so that the two of them were touching, joined at the hip so to speak.

He was pretty sure that Jack did it specifically to get him to shut up and stop rambling, but it made him smile and blush in both embarrassment and adoration. He did so for two reasons; firstly, because he was new to romantic contact at all and Jack had proven himself to be pretty handsy with him, he couldn’t deny the fact that he enjoyed being fawned over by his idol. Secondly, because of the fact that Maya was still there and he was more than a little embarrassed by the public display of affection. He felt conflicted on which he was feeling more of.

The older mans’ hands moved to wrap around his waist, “I think you’re still a little dizzy, cupcake.” he said teasingly before he kissed the siren on the cheek. Rhys’ eyes flitted down towards the ground, “I’m fine.” he protested, without any sort of malice behind it. “You don’t need to hang onto me like this.”

It wasn’t so much that Rhys was bothered by the affection because he didn’t want it – it was more that he didn’t take Jacks’ casual possessiveness of him seriously at all and he didn’t believe that – even after Jack had ranted to him the contrary just the other day – the older man had anything more than a passing interest in him. It was just that this sort of thing felt weirdly more intimate to him than if Jack just decided to kiss him in front of everyone on Helios. It probably would have been easier for Rhys, emotionally at least, if Jack had opted to that instead of pretending that he gave a damn about the siren.

Jack very clearly disagreed and he showed it by wrapping his arm around the siren’s waist, causing Rhys to roll his eyes in annoyance at the older mans’ behavior. The siren looked towards Maya, who had been acting professionally aloof the entire time that Jack had been fawning over Rhys, “So, how was that? It was impressive, right? I mean, usually whenever I used my powers it would either fizzle out and do nothing or it would explode and hurt way more people than I meant to.” he rambled, “So it was really good… right?” he asked, seemingly desperate for her approval or any sort of validation that could tell him that he wasn’t a monster, that he wasn’t just made wrong.

“I think that you have a lot of potential,” Maya told him, her voice came out as incredibly reassuring to the other siren. To Rhys, it became less about what she was saying and more about what she wasn’t saying. She wasn’t saying that there was anything wrong with him, or commenting on the sheer strangeness that he had these abilities – especially when, as far as he knew, he was the first male siren to come into fruition and mature into adulthood – to begin with. “But I also think that you still need a lot of work to reach your potential.” she added carefully.

Rhys nodded at that, “Yes, of course.” he agreed eagerly. The siren was fueled by a strange – and uncomfortably new to him – sense of pride in himself and what he was born as. For most of his life he had been worried about one thing or another when it came to using his powers and his fears had never been entirely unfounded. From his experience with them – his powers seemed to do nothing but cause him heartache and unnecessary amounts of distress that probably shaved a few years off of his life span.

The siren pulled a face as he tried to reassess his thoughts on it, “I mean, I know that it’ll take me sometime to actually have full grasp over them but…” he sighed shakily, “I’m ready to put the effort in and work on it in whatever way I need to.” he said everything with a sort of finality to it – like he had spent a lot more time thinking about it than he would have had any realistic possibility of actually doing so.

Jack had been uncharacteristically quiet while Rhys babbled to Maya – because he found himself thinking that the younger mans’ anxiety and excitement was strangely endearing to him, so he decided to let Rhys go on for a lot longer than he usually would have – but he took the moment that the auburn haired sirens’ giddiness toned down a bit to catch his attention. He couldn’t bring himself to stifle the laugh that erupted from him as Rhys jumped – the siren had almost forgotten that Jack was there, incredibly close to him with a casually affectionate hold onto his waist – in surprise when the older man nudged him on the shoulder to get the sirens’ attention again.

“Agh!” Rhys cried out in shock, he jumped out of the older mans’ grasp and glared at the older man. After a few moments, the siren managed to compose himself a bit and he put his organic hand over his chest, he chuckled nervously as he clutched the fabric of his shirt. “You scared me…” he mumbled to himself. ‘speaking of shaving a few years off of my life span,’ he thought humorlessly before he turned fully towards the older man, “But uh… what’s, uh, what’s going on?” he asked, in a cautious tone.

Jack put his hands up in mocking surrender, “Relax, cupcake.” he told the siren in a patronizing, condescending ‘Excuse you, this is coming from your boss’ tone. “I was just trying to get your attention… you seemed a little distracted by the vault hunter over there.” Rhys rolled his eyes at that and opened his mouth to voice his complaints, but Jack was a bit more talkative than he was. “We’ve got some work to do back in our office, sweet heart.” Jack told him, “And a few things to talk about… in private.”

Rhys nodded understandingly, knowing that this information was most definitely about a vault and if Maya was in fact a double agent or a spy then that would be the absolute worst thing for her to overhear about – if they screwed up so bad as to let her then they may as well just invite the Crimson Raiders onto Helios to stage a coup. Though Rhys really wanted to be able to trust the other siren himself, he couldn’t truly bring himself to not continuously remind himself of her past as a vault hunter. It wasn’t something he was consciously doing, or even really happy with himself about the fact that he was doing it in the first place, but it was difficult for him to trust her intentions – even though she had already helped him channel his abilities better.

* * *

  
A few hours later Rhys was sitting in his and Jacks’ shared office with his knees pressed against his chest. He sat there physically trying not to worry his head off about whether or not the demonstration that he had shown of his abilities was a fluke. It had felt really good to him when he did it – he had been filled with a kind of pride that was so invigorating that it was addicting and he wasn’t sure how he would react, never mind how Jack would react, if it had turned out that it was a one time sort of thing.

“Hey, pumpkin.” Jack hummed, looking over at the siren with a curious look on his face. Rhys looked at him with a dazed expression and the older man continued on, “So about the whole Gortys deal…” he said and Rhys instinctively sighed and made a reluctant whining sound. It interrupted Jacks’ thought process and the older man narrowed his eyes at Rhys for it and the siren lowered his eyes in embarrassment, “… Sorry.” he mumbled, “W-what about the whole Gortys thing?”

Jack laughed at that and moved to sit next to the siren before he went on to say what he had to say, “In a few weeks I’ll send down the girls with a few teams.” he explained, allowing Rhys to lean against him tiredly. He made a mental note to ask Rhys what the hell was going on with him later, “Combat engineers, loader bots, you know… the support of all of Hyperion behind ‘em.”

Rhys cleared his throat nervously, “Well, if Fiona and Sasha are going then I should probably go with them-” before he could really make his point, Jack cut him off. “You’re not going down there.” the older man told him, his tone cool and steely in a way that worried Rhys a little bit. “You’re too damn important to die on that shit hole of a planet, babe.” he added, eliciting a blush from the siren. “And I’m not taking the chance of you getting seriously hurt because I let you. It’s not worth the risk.”

Jack had a feeling that he may have come off as overprotective or overbearing to the siren, but Rhys was seemingly too dazed to actually protest it – which was good for him, but he found himself feeling strangely worried over the sirens’ well being. “You alright there, kitten?” he asked, trying to get his partners’ attention without scaring or shocking the siren.

Rhys turned his head towards the older man, still feeling foggy and dazed so it took him more than a few moments to properly respond, “Yeah, I’m fine I’m just… thinking.” he said, “It’s not anything important, it’s not a big deal I’m just being stupid. Ignore me.” he added afterwards, coming off as entirely unconvincing to the older man and it showed in Jacks’ expression. Rhys had no idea how to explain how he was feeling to Jack in a way that wouldn’t sound ridiculous to the older man, he was almost positive that he couldn’t just say ‘I got so wrapped up in my own head space that nothing feels real right now.’ without seeming like a crazy person. He cared much more about Jacks’ opinions of him than he really should have.

“Are you sure?” Jack asked, looking at the siren evenly. “You’re looking a little green is all I’m saying, pumpkin.” he added and Rhys was quick to defend himself. “Yes I’m fine. I’m feeling good.” the siren said, tone a little to curt for it to be believable that he was feeling good.Thankfully Jack didn’t push it anymore.

It was probably for the best that he didn’t because pushing Rhys never really worked out anyway and it usually just ended up in the siren getting openly upset with him or distancing himself and shutting down completely. Jack mussed up Rhys’ hair affectionately as he pulled the siren in closer to him. “You know you can be a real pain in the ass, Rhysie.” he commented, tone glib and teasing. “You’re lucky that you’re pretty freaking cute is all I’m saying.”

Rhys grumbled at that with no commitment to say much of anything in response as he moved over to curl closer and closer to the older man – unconsciously drinking up the casual affection that he was receiving – until he was practically laying in Jacks’ lap. The siren pulled a face and closed his eyes, not complaining as Jack laughed and teased him for being just as needy as a kitten and told him that if he wanted to sit in his lap then all he had to do was ask.

Though the truth about it was that Rhys was still pretty much exhausted from all the energy he had expelled using his abilities earlier but he hadn’t felt it until now because up until this point he had been hyped up on dopamine and adrenaline fueled by excitement, anxiety and pride. He just hoped that his abilities didn’t end up taking so much out of him every time that he had opted to use them in the future.

The older man absentmindedly stroked his hand through Rhys’ auburn hair, urging the siren to relax more and more through gentle touches. He definitely preferred this sort of clinginess to Rhys overworking himself or worrying about something so much that he ended up causing himself physical pain from the stress that he tended to hold fast and tight to with a vice like grip.

On a more egocentric note, he was also a really big fan of his partner’s remarkable ability to make himself really tiny for someone of his height. It was honestly one of the most endearing things that he had seen in a long time and he was happy to let Rhys lay on top of him until his legs went numb if it meant that he got to see the siren do curl up with his knees tucked underneath him.

Jack sighed and leaned back, gingerly attempting to move Rhys – who fell asleep with a scary sort of quickness – slightly so that he wasn’t poised so precariously on his lap because with the way that he was sitting at that moment, if Jack moved even an inch then the siren could easily fall off and hit the floor. After a bit of persistence from Jacks’ end, they ended up coming to somewhat of a compromise, or as close as you could come to one with a person that was dead asleep in your lap.

With Rhys unconsciously clinging to him like a koala, with the sirens fingers braced around his shoulders while he took to straddling the older mans’ lap in his sleep. He had a few more things to talk to Rhys about – about Maya, about the vault and about some damning information that he had found out directly involving one of his partners’ best friends – but all of that could wait until the siren was coherent enough to understand exactly what Jack was saying to him.

* * *

  
Rhys sat up slowly and lethargically, his eyes fluttered open all of the way and he realized that he was still sitting on Jacks’ lap. The older man had his arm poised around Rhys’ waist, his own eyes closed for the moment in light sleep. The siren worried his lower lip nervously as he gingerly attempted to disentangle himself from Jacks’ hold without waking him as he didn’t want to disturb the older man.

He hadn’t counted on Jack being such a light sleeper and Rhys found himself in a vice like grip by the older man, “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Jack questioned teasingly Rhys as he held the siren in place by the waist. “Sit your cute ass back down, Rhysie, you don’t have to be in a rush.”

The younger man hummed noncommittally, accepting defeat for the time being as he settled back down on Jacks’ lap. “You sleep alright?” he asked Rhys, momentarily surprising the siren. “You were pretty tired after everything that happened earlier and you looked so cute curled up asleep on top of me that I just gave up and ended up passing out right with you.”

Rhys furrowed his brows in confusion for a moment before he thought to say anything to that and when he did open his mouth, not much of anything intelligent came from out from him. “I, well…” he started to say, losing his train of thought almost immediately because of the way that Jack was looking at him and he couldn’t even describe why it made him lose all focus like it did. It was like Jack was himself just gave off some kind of vibe that made him happy and terrified him all at the same time, the more that he entertained the idea the more likely that it seemed to be true.

Rhys was sure Jack knew what he was doing it to him. He probably found it to be hilarious, the asshole that he was, and he was laughing at Rhys… covertly. Whatever the case was, he couldn’t figure out how to bridge past the first word in his sentence and he was left stuttering and stumbling over his words – a little part of him desperately wished that Jack would ease his grip up a bit so that he could escape and return to a place where he was capable of clear and reasonable thoughts.

“You done having an aneurysm, kitten?” Jack asked meanly, “Or should I call in a medic to come and check you out.” he added, his hand moved to balance on the small of the sirens back, eliciting a tiny jump out of Rhys that made Jack laugh. Check that, Jack definitely knew what he was doing – of course he did, he was Handsome Jack. He always knew what he was doing. Rhys couldn’t debate that without running himself in circles about it. “You know, make sure you don’t have any wires crossed?”

“I don’t have any of my wires crossed…” the siren protested, pouting a bit as he crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s not a- that’s not a thing. I’m not- shut up.” Jack didn’t give him much more of a chance to ramble as he kissed the siren gently on the lips. Rhys made a soft noise out of surprise and he felt Jack smile against his lips because of it and one of the older mans fingers brushed gently over his jaw as he broke the kiss. He was left a blushing mess afterwards and he receded a little further into his own head space. This time it wasn’t as bad as it usually was – with intrusive thoughts and foggy, uncomfortable feelings – and he could even go as far as to say that it was actually kind of pleasant.

Jack eased the siren off of his lap, “You’re too cute,” he commented as Rhys looked at him oddly, with his head cocked slightly to the side. “It’s distracting how cute you are.” he elaborated, “And I’ve got a few things to tell you.”

Rhys perked up almost immediately, “What kind of things?” he asked, “Bad things, right? It’s something bad, isn’t it? Oh god, it is.” he babbled, pulling a face as he worried over the implications of various possibilities. “Just- rip the band-aid off, please. What is it?”

Jack couldn’t help but chuckle at his partners worrying. “Calm down, kiddo.” he told Rhys, trying to be reassuring. “I guess that It’s kinda depressing for you, but it’s not the freaking end of the world.” he added, “It’s about your friend, the one with the glasses who always makes you buy her lunch?”

“Yvette?” Rhys guessed, Jack nodded affirmatively and the siren soon found himself thinking of the worst. “What’s going on with her? Is she alright?” he asked, making his worry obvious in everything about his tone and body language.

“Uh, she’s fine.” The older man replied, quickly deciding to do exactly what Rhys asked of him in the first place and rip off the truth like a band-aid. “She’s in a holding cell.” he explained, “Apparently, she was embezzling funds with wallet-head. She was also… doing a few other things while you were on Pandora.” he explained, “She was working with Vasquez, Rhys.” The lack of a pejorative nick name irked Rhys more than a little bit. “And she probably still would be if he wasn’t dead.”

“H-how did you find this out?” Rhys started to feel sick, if this was all Yvette had been lying to him for the better part of the last six months since he had returned to Helios with Jack.

Vaughn betraying him while they were on Pandora was one thing – he knew that his friend had been scared for his life and much more easy to manipulate than Yvette could ever be – but Yvette was a completely different situation. There was no chance that she would die on Helios – especially if Vasquez was the man gunning for her – so that meant to him that she risked his life and almost got both of him and Vaughn killed on Pandora multiple times strictly for personal profit and probably not all that much of it either.

How very Hyperion of her. He clung to a bit of doubt anyways, hoping that Jack might be wrong about this – however unlikely that that would be. “You think I don’t know how to get dirt on somebody?” Jack snapped, incredulous in tone. “Especially someone that works for me? Come on, cupcake. Give me a little more credit here.”

Rhys nodded minutely, knowing that Jack was most definitely right. He stood up abruptly, “Uh, I, uh, I have to go take a walk or-” he couldn’t formulate his thoughts any more than that. “I, I have to get out of here.” and he was running off before Jack could really catch him.

The siren jogged back to his apartment and buried himself in blankets so that he could have his mental breakdown in peace. He could deal with all of this later – much, much later – but right now, he really couldn’t handle this.


	9. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> God, I can't believe this took me months to update. It just sat in my documents 90% done for like 3 months - Seasonal depression sucks. anyway heres some smut and fluff and betrayal .

Rhys hadn’t known how to deal with the news that he was given about Yvette, other than to feel awful about it. He curled up in a heap of blankets around himself as he let out soft and stuttered out sobs – he was thankful now that no one else lived with him now, least of all Vaughn.

He couldn’t think of how to explain it to his best friend what she had done to the both of them and he was ambivalent about whether he should just lie to the other male about it or if he should tell Vaughn the truth – and that was just what he would tell him afterwards, not even accounting for what he would end up doing about Yvette.

He had to deal with this for obvious reasons – he couldn’t let Jack take control of this particular situation. If he did, then Yvette would die a slow and painful death – he really wasn’t all that willing to let that happen to her, even if he was almost completely sure that he couldn’t be around her any longer now that he had found this out about her.

The siren had been so deep into his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed that Jack opened the door to his apartment to come and check on him and he barely stifled a shriek as he felt one of the older mans’ rough hands gently squeeze his shoulder. He turned around as quickly as he was able to, struggling through the mess of blankets that he had trapped himself in as he did so, to see Jack looking at him with unconcealed worry.

“… Hi.” The siren weakly greeted Jack, waving his organic hand at the older man lethargically. Jack grinned, looking at Rhys in a way that suggested that he wanted to say something to the siren before he thought better of it and moved down to the younger mans’ level, sitting among Rhys’ self made comfort system as he ushered the siren into his lap. Rhys was happy to be given the affection and he so very desperately wanted to let himself just drown in it, instead of wallowing in self pity like he had been.

Jack wove his fingers through Rhys’ dense auburn hair, absentmindedly stroking through the sirens’ hair as Rhys sniffled and quietly sobbed, lost in the overwhelmed and ambivalent state that he had found himself trapped in. He felt Jacks’ other hand, the one that wasn’t running through his hair, move to cup and gently support his lower back while he soothed the siren that lay curled up against him.

There were a few moments of comfortable, easy quietness between them before Rhys was able to pull back and speak to the older man. “Oh,” Rhys softly exclaimed, his brain still little more than a pleasant buzz as he worked to collect his thoughts. “Thank you for…” Rhys trailed off as he wasn’t entirely sure what to thank the older man for.

For being nice to him? For not killing Yvette? For giving him the chance to decide for himself? He couldn’t decide, even just in his own head he had no idea how to feel about the way that Jack liked to treat him as opposed to the way he was with everyone else. “Just thank you, I guess.” he giggled with no small amount of nervousness in his tone, his eyes flitted down to his lap. “I didn’t really expect you to come and check on me or anything and I mean, you didn’t have to…” he admitted with a slight shrug.

He wanted to say more, a lot more, but his words continually failed him so he pursed his lips and patiently waited for Jack to say something. As patiently as he was able to, anyways, with the way that his heart hammered in his chest. In his anxiety and worry and completely without his permission another soft sob tore from him. “S-sorry,” He apologized bleakly, “God I’m so emotional. It’s annoying, right? Yeah, it’s annoying and I’m being even more annoying now. I’ll just… shut up now.”

If Jack was alarmed by the sudden shift in his partners emotions, then he didn’t show it and instead focused quickly on comforting Rhys as best as he could. Even he could admit he wasn’t the best at being comforting, “Babe, of course I came to check on you.” he assured, “I wanted to give you a little space, but… I don’t know.” he shrugged, “I got worried. Thought you might need someone to comfort you… or something.”

Rhys perked up at that, surprised and flattered all at the same time, “You were worried?” he parroted Jack words slowly, pointing to his chest as he did so. “About me?” the look on his face faltered more and more, the more that he thought about it. “Why?”

“I don’t know, because I like you?” Jack questioned back, more rhetorically than anything else. He kissed the siren on the cheek, fully enjoying the soft noise he made from the pleasant contact. He found Rhys’ anxious babbling to be a lot cuter than it should have been. “You just don’t get it, do you Rhysie?” he chuckled a bit, “It’s cute how oblivious you can be, pumpkin.” he added.

The siren pouted and squirmed uncomfortably on Jacks’ lap, eliciting another amused laugh from the older man as he did so. “You know, you really aren’t being very comforting.” Rhys mumbled as he wrung out his hands nervously to at least passively display his annoyance.

“Then tell me how I should comfort you.” Jack told Rhys, making more room for the siren scoot impossibly closer to the older man as he spoke. Putting it like that was the best way for him to explain that he wasn’t great at being emotional or comforting, even going so far as to ask for Rhys’ help, without sacrificing his own pride at the same time.

Rhys frowned with slight confusion, trying to think about how Jack could possibly comfort him for a few moments before he shook his head slightly. “I… I don’t know.” he admitted softly, “I just,” he fidgeted a little bit more and then he began to shake in his anxiety, so much to the point that Jack pressed his hand firmly against the small of the sirens’ back, after that he faintly heard the older man telling him to relax – ordering him to calm down in a gentle tone. “I don’t know.” he repeated softly.

The contact seemed to jolt Rhys a bit and he stiffened slightly before leaning in to the touch subtly. He vaguely noticed that he was still sitting in Jacks’ lap, and although a part of him thought about moving away and settling himself in a more respectable position he found that he didn’t want to and even more he found himself relaxing and melting into a slack puddle of limbs in the older mans’ grip.

“You have any idea what your gonna do about her?” Jack queried, touching the siren affectionately as he spoke. Rhys frowned and bit his lip as he huddled in even closer to the older man – he wasn’t entirely sure what he should do. A part of him wanted to forgive her and let it go like he had with Vaughn and another part of him – a part of him that was a lot bigger than he would be proud to admit to at that – never wanted to see her again.

“I…” The siren paused to speak, “I’ll worry about it tomorrow or even later today.” he assured, “I just don’t want to think about her right now.” he shook his head minutely, “I don’t want to have to think about her or Fiona or Sasha or Gortys or anything like that. J-just for a few hours I want everything to be uncomplicated.” The way that Rhys spoke was cold and completely sure of himself.

“Alright. That’s fine. We don’t need to talk, babe.” The older man said, smoothing his hands over Rhys’ shoulders. “We can do whatever you want,” he added. “I can leave too, if you want me to.”

The siren pursed his lips, as he thought about what he wanted from the older man. It didn’t take him more than a moment of thought before he moved forward to shyly press his lips against Jacks’ own.  
The kiss was slow and languid, maybe even with a little bit of desperation among it’s slowness. It was clear to Jack that Rhys didn’t want for the affection to end. The two of them were hesitant to break the contact and once they did, the siren whined in disappointment and pawed at the older mans back as he held on tight to him and refused to let go. “Please.” Rhys voiced, unsure of what he was even asking for. Nevertheless, he persisted with the line of vague pleas. “Please, Jack.”

“What do you want, Rhys?” Jack purred in such a tone that the siren suspected that Jack knew exactly what Rhys wanted and he just had to make Rhys beg for it. He could be cruel like that, when it suited him. “You know I can’t help you if I don’t know what you want.” He added, seemingly just to rub it in.  
Jacks’ hands moved, so that they were on either sides of Rhys’ face. “Be honest with me, kitten.”

The siren narrowed his eyes, “Stop toying with me like this.” He snapped, before he relented in his annoyance with the older man somewhat. He kissed the older mans’ jaw, “Jack, look, I… I want you. I want you to have sex, have sex with me, okay?” he internally cringed at how he sounded, incompetent and inexperienced. Downright childish.

He had never tried to seduce anyone before, and it showed clear as day. Luckily enough for him, Jack didn’t need any sort of convincing. He liked Rhys just as he was – awkward, uncoordinated, timid yet always babbling, traumatized as all hell Rhys. Well, whatever Jacks’ reasons were, Rhys wasn’t going to complain about it or question it too much. There were much more interesting things for the siren to focus on – like how nice it felt when Jack kissed him, especially now.

Jack kissed him and it was nothing like how he usually kissed Rhys – it was usually sweeter and full of affection. The way it felt was more insistent, harsher and with a little more teeth. It felt kind of like Jack was claiming Rhys as his own – he was a little embarrassed by how much he liked the idea of that.

He stripped Rhys of as much of his clothing as he could manage without ending any kisses with the siren. It was difficult enough not to tear away what little Rhys was wearing in his impatience, but once he got the siren stripped naked he couldn’t help but admire just how pretty he was.

Rhys nervously squeezed his legs together as Jack openly leered at him, he became uncomfortably aware of how much more clothing the older man had on, those stupid layers of his. He felt so much more naked because of them, “N-now you.” He pleaded more than demanded.

“You shouldn’t tell me what to do, pumpkin.” Jack growled, for a moment the siren was worried that he had seriously messed up but then Jack laughed and stripped himself before settling over Rhys, where the siren sat trembling with nerves.

The older man hummed appreciatively, one of his broad palms smoothing up Rhys’ chest as he marveled at his markings. “You really are beautiful, Rhysie.” He praised, letting the siren shudder and sigh at the light contact. “Too beautiful,” he added, mostly in a joking manner. “Don’t know if I can trust a face that pretty. What are we gonna do about that?”

The siren shrugged slightly, “I guess that you’ll have to take your chances with me then?” He quipped in a low and breathy voice as Jacks’ hands soothed up and down his legs. Rhys shut his eyes as he was keenly aware of how Jack was looking at him, watching the way that his tattoos reacted to the older mans’ touch. He always felt so exposed when the older man looked at him like this.

The markings seemed to have a mind of their own, flickering happily and dancing around the older mans fingers as he touched them and caressed the sirens’ skin. Jack took his time mapping out each pattern with his hands and mouth and Rhys was responsive to every tiny bit of contact – moaning and sighing from kisses and love bites all over his slim and lanky form.

Jack separated from him for moments before returning with a small bottle of lubricant. “Lift your hips for me,” He ordered the siren, before wedging two pillows underneath Rhys’s stomach, propping his hips up with his cock pressed flush against the soft fabric. The siren wiggled a bit on the cushions as he struggled to situate and get himself comfortable underneath the older man. “Just relax, kitten…” Jack hummed in a soothing manner as he took notice of the sirens distress.

They both know that Rhys is new to all of this, and while this only makes the siren more nervous about everything – Jack has taken surprisingly well to softness and gentility with the younger man. It was always surprising to Rhys that he was being doted on by someone like Handsome Jack – someone who he had never assumed to be a “Good Person” or even an, “Okay Person”. But here he was, practically covered by Jack and being pampered and adored by the older man.

He was especially gentle with preparing him with lube soaked fingers, stretching and prodding him open with an overly prideful sort of efficiency to them – he leaned over Rhys while he toyed with him, teasing him crudely with squeezes and pleased murmurs about how pretty the siren looked while he was being fingered open and openly wondering just how much better he would like when he was being pinned down and fucked.

“I think you’re ready, babe.” Jack mumbled in his ear, less than gently tugging on the sirens auburn hair to pull his head back and expose his neck. He peppered soft, chaste kisses to Rhys’ pulse point, “What do you think? You think you’re ready?”

It doesn’t register to Rhys immediately that Jack is asking for his consent and he blushed with embarrassment at his own clueless nature. “I…yes, I think I’m ready, Jack.” he said softly, “Please.” he added as an afterthought, like he felt the need to beg even when it was so clear that Jack wanted him.

That was all it took for Jack to position himself at the sirens’ hole and thrust in very slowly, making sure to give Rhys the opportunity to adjust to his size. Jack fucked into him slowly but not exactly gently – his arms wrapped around the sirens slim legs as leverage as he pulled Rhys down onto his cock over and over again.

It wasn’t like Rhys didn’t enjoy the less than gentle treatment that he was receiving – soft, pained whimpers evolved into pleasured moans and wanton cries of Jacks’ name and pleas that he would never stop fucking him like he was.

Despite either of their wishes – something like this was never bound to last and soon Jack was coming into the siren, practically flooding his insides. Jack didn’t stop when he came – thrusting shallowly into the siren until he felt Rhys tighten up like a vice on his dick.

Jack watched in fascination as Rhys arched back, translucent wings spreading wide – beautiful and intangible for the older man to touch or feel like he wanted so desperately to do. They brushed against him once, twice, three times – and the older man felt little more than what almost felt like little bits of the universe moving in and out of him. It was almost cosmic and Jack couldn’t help but think that the siren looked beautiful. Like he was a work of art, something that needed to be preserved and protected at all costs.

Spent and on the verge of unconsciousness, Rhys relaxed against Jack as the older man traced the formations of his markings with his thumb. The siren felt nice and safe as he was held tight by the older man with a vice like grip that was so tight that Rhys couldn’t figure a way to wriggle out of the hold even if he wanted to. With a feeling that bordered on defeat, Rhys closed his eyes and let himself fall into a deep, deep sleep.

* * *

  
Jack didn’t allow Rhys to wander for the rest of the day, partially because he wanted to keep the siren kept at his side – because he thought that he had waited long enough to have him and he was going to have Rhys over and over again – but it had more to do with the fact that he wanted Rhys to be in a well enough state of mind that he didn’t end up doing something that he would end up seriously regretting.

Rhys wasn’t like him – he was emotional, he always felt things so deeply and Jack could very clearly see that the siren felt much more betrayed by what Yvette had done than what had happened on Pandora with Vaughn. If Rhys was someone else, he would have let the siren ruin his friendships on an emotional whim but for some reason – he knew the reason – he really cared about Rhys’ well being and he didn’t want the siren to hurt himself in any way.

Jack moved closer to where his vice president slept, curled up on himself and gently kissed his neck, pressing his lips almost chastely against the spot where his neck and shoulder met. This happened to rouse Rhys enough that he was able to respond to the affection, just not in a positive way.

The siren whined, sluggishly inching away from him. “Please… I’m so sore.” He protested sleepily, pushing the older man away halfheartedly as he spoke. Jack chuckled in kind as he wrapped his arms around the siren and held him against his chest tightly and securely.

“We got a good thing going here, sugar.” Jack hummed, nuzzling ever closer to the younger man. “I say we should keep it going all day, all night too. Maybe even take the whole week off so I can properly fuck you stupid.”

“You know there is such thing as too much of a good thing.” Rhys pointed out, unconsciously keening as he spoke, “Oh god, I’m all sticky and sweaty now… I need to wash up.”

“Mm, I don’t think that’s true.” The older man carded his fingers through Rhys’ messy hair as he pulled back slightly to get a better look at him. The siren looked absolutely wrecked, his skin tinged a pinkish color and his usually well coiffed hair sitting askew and frizzy on his head and the best part of it all was how well marked Rhys was. “But you’re right about one thing, we’re both dirty right now.”

“Jack I, I don’t think that I can move my legs…” The siren pouted, looking towards the older man with a pleading sort of look in his eyes. “This is all your fault.” He added, narrowing his eyes accusingly towards the older man – who did not at all seemed bothered by his partners line of thinking.

“You’re damn right it is.” Jack agreed over-eagerly, pulling Rhys up so that the siren was straddling his lap. He kissed the siren a few times, “But don’t you worry baby,” he added as he pulled back, “I’ll help you get there. Hell, I’ll just pick you up and carry you there.”

“Yeah, you better.” Rhys replied, in a way that sounded like he was definitely trying to be threatening but it failed because he was naked and half asleep. “Or, or else I’ll use my siren powers on you and d-destroy all of Helios… or something like that. Yeah.” he mumbled in a barely audible tone, “That’s what I’ll do…”

Jack responded to that by flipping them over so that the two of them were hard pressed back into the mattress once again, his hand dove between Rhys’ legs to grab a hold of the sirens’ surprisingly interested cock. “but I think we should go one more round before we wash up though,” he added in a husky tone, gently caressing his shaft as he spoke.

Rhys pouted a little but nodded in agreement, “I guess that… I guess that it’s better than just getting dirty again.” he acquiesced in a quiet voice. What was supposed to be one more round turned into several.

It was not until hours later that the two of them were curled up against one another in a bath tub that was so large that it may as well have been considered a hot tub, soap suds and water moving around them as they lethargically washed. Rhys found the whole thing really sweet and although he still had Yvette on his mind – she was just hanging out in the back of it, instead of sitting right out in the front of his consciousness and making him feel miserable.

* * *

  
After a bit of cloying and pouting, Rhys had managed to cleverly sneak away from Jack by managing to tire the older man out more than he could tire Rhys out – it was entirely unfair that his new body meant that he would have more energy than Rhys especially considering that people like Jack should not have large amounts of energy, otherwise they do terrible things… like going insane in a quest for power.

Compared to everything that he had to do to get the older man to leave him alone for the moment – he was kind of, really, clingy but Rhys couldn’t really say that he minded it all that much – finding Yvette was really easy. Even though she had been avoiding him like he was the plague as of late.

He found her in one of the company break rooms, loading up on coffee in between her work loads. The siren greeted her by tapping her on the shoulder, incidentally eliciting a jump out of her. “Uhh, sorry, I-” he pouted and took a breath, “Can we talk somewhere?” he darted his eyes about the room, noticing a few bystanders, “Somewhere private?”

Yvette frowned, “You know I’ve had a pretty heavy work load…” she said, sounding both hesitant and reluctant to do anything with him. “A lot of people have been scheduling last notice vacations since Handsome Jack came back from the dead, denying them all one by one…over and over again, I don’t think I have the time to take a break.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll have someone cover for you,” Rhys assured her, smiling in a way that he hoped looked friendly and reassuring – he was a terrible liar and he had no idea how to pull off the face of someone cold and heartless, his Hyperion face just looked stupid – all the while. “I don’t know if you remember but I’m kind of in charge here. Well, Jack is… but he likes me a lot and I have just a little less power than he does. So you’ll be fine.”

Yvette still didn’t seem convinced, but she reluctantly agreed to it with a nod and: a mutter of, “Sure, let’s go. Maybe we can get lunch later.” followed Rhys along to wherever the siren decided to take them, which was incidentally back to her own private office. It was private enough, she thought, but she had an eerie feeling about what Rhys might want to talk about with her. Now, she was thinking that she probably should have taken her own impromptu vacation.

Once the door shut, Rhys’ demeanor changed from friendly to… well, Rhys looked furious and kind of disappointed in her. The disappointment was probably worse than the anger… but then, Rhys also had this undercurrent of hurt in his eyes. She had been expecting this – she knew that sometime Rhys would find out that she lied to him and almost got him killed on multiple occasions.

“So, you lied to me.” Rhys started on a strong note, seemingly confident in what he had to say. The siren had an inkling that he wouldn’t be able to keep up the strong way that he was feeling, his resolve would break sooner or later and more likely it would be sooner than later. “You tried to get me killed but more importantly you almost got Vaughn killed because, what, y-you wanted a better office?”

“It’s not as simple as you’d make it out to be, Rhys.” She dismissed quickly – because Rhys didn’t understand and he probably wouldn’t be able to understand her line of thinking. Rhys pursed his lips at that, but decidedly didn’t interrupt her. “The minute that you two went down there to Pandora you were both dead! What was I supposed to do?” she explained, completely exasperated with the situation.

“Really?” Rhys retorted, angry in a quiet sort of way. “We were on Pandora for two weeks. How long did you wait before you struck up a deal? With Vasquez of all people. Vasquez! The closest that I have ever come to hating anyone and you-you just struck a deal with him like it was…” Rhys trailed off suddenly feeling a deep sadness that he wasn’t at all comfortable expressing. “Like it didn’t even matter to you, like we were nothing.”

“You don’t care. Or maybe you’re just better at being Hyperion than I am. I don’t know.” he mumbled under his breath, feeling out of control. “Do you care?” he asked, “About Vaughn? Or me? Because I have no idea how to feel about all this.” he added, “I want to be angry with you. I really wish I could be angry at you right now, that would make everything so easy!”

“Don’t act like you haven’t screwed anyone over,” she reminded him – Rhys knew exactly what she was talking about. He had done a few messed up things to curry favor at Hyperion and that Eridium Mine deal that he had done when he was an intern was probably one of the most messed up things that he had ever done. But he hadn’t known any of the people whose lives he had destroyed, he hadn’t looked them in the face and lied to them and he certainly hadn’t kept up the lie for months while he pretended that everything was the same between them.

The sirens’ eyes narrowed in anger. “You know that those aren’t the same thing.” Rhys snapped back, backing away from her in an attempt not to lash out and do something stupid or violent that he might regret. “Don’t even try that.” he added in a venomous and low tone, fidgeting with himself nervously as he did so.

He didn’t like this. Everything about, well everything right now just felt wrong to him. He had never been as close to Yvette as he was to Vaughn, but he had never thought that she would betray him at the drop of a hat like that. It had never even crossed his mind that she would do that to him. Or to anyone.

“You have to understand what I was up against-” Yvette sighed, bit her lip and stopped herself from continuing on with that train of thought. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Rhys. I shouldn’t have done that, I know that… just please-”

“It doesn’t matter.” Rhys said, in a numb sort of tone. “Even if I forgave you right at this moment, I don’t think that Jack would be happy with you being on Helios and it would take me… a really long time to feel like I could honestly defend you. So, you can take whatever ship you want out of here. Go to Pandora, or one of the Edens or Aquator. At this point I don’t really care about you anymore. This is the last thing that I’m ever going to do for you.”

Deep down, Rhys knew that it was a bold faced lie – he did still care about her and he still wanted to be her friend – but he couldn’t give her the opportunity to betray him again. What he was doing for her wasn’t a test or something like that, it was one final olive branch extended towards her for old times sake.

If nothing else that Rhys said, Yvette was shocked by that. She stepped back from the siren a few steps without breaking eye contact with him before she turned and ran for her life to a ship or escape pod off of Helios. The siren watched her walk off for a few moments before he turned in the opposite direction and decided to walk off his anxiety and worries.

After a bit of walking around his Comm started to buzz and he rooted around his pocket for it. He noticed that it was Vaughn and he smiled despite how overwhelmed he felt. “H-hey,” Rhys answered the call shakily, “What’s going on, man?”

“Hey!” Vaughn answered back, tone sounding seemingly cheerful. “What’s been going on with you? I haven’t heard from you in a while-”

“Oh, I’ve been caught up with Jack. You know how it is with him.” Rhys explained in a way that seemed like he was trying to use as few details as he could without oversharing.

“Ugh, yeah. I know how he is.” Vaughn grumbled, “Uh, bro have you heard from Yvette lately? I know that she’s been acting weird lately, and uh, I’m kind of worried.”

“Don’t be.” Rhys snapped.

“I’m _sorry_?” Vaughn sounded suspicious and miffed at the sirens tone and Rhys was quick to correct himself.

 “Uh, what I mean is… there’s something I need to tell you.” the siren explained in a hand wavy sort of way, “I will…be over in a couple of hours. We can talk then.”

Rhys prepared himself mentally and physically for what would most definitely be the most awkward and painful conversation that he would ever have – and had ever had – with his best friend. As the siren walked back to his executive apartment – where he knew that Jack would be probably be waiting for him there – he thought about the pros and cons of air locking _himself._

**Author's Note:**

> Gimme your thoughts?


End file.
